AfriForum welcomes life sentence for former SANDF member Conga

AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit has welcomed the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court sentencing of former South African National Defence Force member, Leon Santos Conga to life imprisonment after he was found guilty of rape and attempted murder.

Conga failed to disclose his HIV status to his ex-girlfriend, Antoinette Ndishishi and infected her with the virus.

Conga received 10 years for the attempted murder charge and life in prison for the rape charge, both of which are to run concurrently.

AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit spokesperson Barry Bateman says, “The rape charge comes in because she consented to sex on condition that he said he was HIV negative. Absent that commitment or that condition, consent was not granted so there’s the rape charge. On attempted murder, HIV is a life-threatening disease or Aids is rather but HIV contributes to that without adequate treatment. So it’s on that basis that the attempted murder charge was sustained against the accused.”