By Shaffie A Mtambo
A 24-year-old street-clothing vendor, Thokozani Charles, has been sentenced to 21 years in prison for raping a 27-year-old woman he met on Facebook. Charles, who posed as a wealthy South African-based businessman, proposed marriage to the woman just two weeks into their online relationship.
He then convinced her to meet him in person, claiming he needed her help with a ritual to retrieve his three cars, which he said were seized by the Malawi Revenue Authority due to unpaid duty fees. Unbeknownst to the woman, Charles had been using a fake identity to deceive her.

Charles took the woman to a lodge in Area 50, where he forced her to touch charms and threatened her with madness or death if she refused to comply with his demands. He then raped her three times, filming the encounters and sharing the videos with his friends.
Afterwards, he stole two cellphones from the woman and fled the scene. In court, Charles pleaded guilty to both rape and theft charges. Despite his plea for leniency, citing his status as an orphan and his enrollment in driving lessons, the court handed down the maximum sentence of 21 years.
Principal Resident Magistrate Rodrick Michongwe emphasized the need for deterrent sentences to warn potential perpetrators and advised women to exercise caution when interacting with strangers on social media. Charles, who hails from Chitenje Village, Traditional Authority Tumanje in Zomba District, will serve his sentence with hard labor.