Life sentence for man who left teen permanently paralysed in brutal attack
The NPA trusts that this sentence sends a strong message that crime will not be tolerated.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) welcomes the sentence of life imprisonment imposed on Msawenkosi Mthethwa (31) by the Ntuzuma Regional Court, following his conviction on a charge of attempted murder.
The offence was committed in April 2025 in the Inanda area.
Regional spokesperson of the National Prosecuting Authority, Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, said, “On April 12, 2025, the complainant, who was 17-years-old at the time, was on her way to a shop in the area when she was approached by Mthethwa, who said that he wanted to speak to her. When she refused to speak to him, he swore at her and touched her on her buttocks. The complainant then went home and reported the incident to her father. Together, she and her father went to confront Mthethwa about what had happened. However, Mthethwa refused to speak to the complainant’s father, saying that he wants to speak to the complainant instead. Realising that their attempt was futile, the complainant and her father turned to return home and as they did so, Mthethwa stabbed the complainant in her back with a screwdriver.”
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He then fled the scene and the complainant fell to the ground. The complainant subsequently realised that she was unable to stand up, nor could she feel any sensation on the lower half of her body.
She was taken to hospital and following further examination she was advised by doctors that she was paralysed from the waist down, as Mthethwa had stabbed her in her spine. Mthethwa was arrested a few days later.
In court, the prosecutor, Scelo Mzobe, led evidence of eyewitnesses as well as the contents of the J88 medico-legal report. The state also led the evidence of the doctor who had examined the complainant.
The doctor testified that the force applied in the ensuing injury suffered by the complainant was such that the screwdriver broke through the complainant’s spine and severed her spinal cord.
The doctor further mentioned that there were no reasonable prospects of the complainant ever regaining any sensation or movement in her lower body.
The state also handed in a victim impact statement (VIS) compiled by the complainant and facilitated by court preparation officer, Princess Mlangeni. In her statement, the complainant told the court that through his actions, Mthethwa has denied her the right to ever enjoy life again.
She said that she is frustrated and must rely on others for assistance with daily routines.
She said that she cannot even go to school as her family is having trouble finding a suitable school to accommodate someone in her condition.
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Mthethwa was sentenced to life imprisonment, and he will remain unfit to possess a firearm.
“The NPA trusts that this sentence sends a strong message that crime will not be tolerated. The conviction underscores the NPA’s unwavering commitment to securing justice for victims of crime and their families,” Ramkisson-Kara concluded.
