Mbali Lekhuleni, a singer from Joyous Celebration, shared her tragic story of how she shot and killed her rapist when she was just 16 years old.
The Incident
Mbali and her family had a tradition of visiting their relatives in Vosloorus during the December holidays. One night, when her aunt left the care of the house to her “brother,” everything went wrong when they decided to go to a popular park. When Mbali started getting chilly, her acquaintance accompanied her to get a jersey. However, their journey back to the park was interrupted by an armed paedophile who saw Mbali as his second victim for the night.
The perpetrator took Mbali to someone’s yard, where he raped her for the first time. He then alluded to taking her to a different place, pointing a gun at her while smoking. Mbali pleaded with him to put the gun aside, which he did before raping her again. When he stood up and looked in another direction, Mbali saw an opportunity to grab the gun. She held the gun and when the perpetrator looked back and tried to approach her, she pulled the trigger. She fired again when he came to her trying to fight while she was still holding the gun. The perpetrator fell on top of Mbali and died.
Image: Instagram/ Mbali Lekhuleni
Aftermath
Mbali sought help from relatives and at the police station where they discovered that the perpetrator had allegedly raped another young lady on the same night. She was exonerated of murder because it was self-defence. Mbali said she was numb for a week after the incident.
Rising Above the Ordeal Foundation
Earlier this year, Mbali launched the Rising Above the Ordeal Foundation dedicated to helping rape survivors. She was inspired by her own incident and the lack of support she received from family, friends, or church. She had to pick up the pieces herself and wanted to help others in similar situations.
Mbali encouraged rape victims to speak up and report their cases. She said that they are not their scars and their future will not be determined by their ordeal. She advised them to report the perpetrator to the police and seek counselling.