Johannesburg - A man convicted of raping a 10-year-old girl in Mpumalanga township in KwaZulu-Natal has been sentenced to life imprisonment, police said on Friday.
Joseph Msizeni Khuluse, 49, was sentenced in the Pietermaritzburg Regional Court on Thursday, Captain Thulani Zwane said.
"It is alleged that on 1 April 2011, the victim was sleeping when the accused overpowered her and raped her," he said.
Khuluse allegedly threatened the girl in an attempt to stop her telling anyone about the crime.
KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant General Mmamonnye Ngobeni thanked the girl for her bravery in reporting the rape and commended the investigation team.