- Multiple courts handed down life sentences for the rape of children.
- Prosecutors relied on victim impact statements to secure harsh penalties.
- The NPA says these convictions demonstrate an unwavering resolve against GBV.
Courts across the country are giving life sentences for rape and other violent crimes committed against vulnerable members of society. Furthermore, many of the longest sentences went to men who harmed children.
In KwaZulu-Natal, the Nongoma Regional Court sentenced a 34-year-old man to life imprisonment for the rape of his 14-year-old niece in 2020. The teenager had attended a traditional dance celebration with her siblings and aunt when her uncle, the man, offered to walk them home.
Along the way, while the others walked ahead, he dragged her into a bush at knifepoint and raped her, threatening to kill her if she ever spoke out. She kept silent until her grandmother noticed her withdrawn behaviour the following day and persuaded her to reveal the assault.
Similarly, in the Free State, the Sasolburg Regional Court imposed life imprisonment on a 49-year-old father who raped his 14-year-old daughter in May 2019. Magistrate Phakama Ngewu presided over the case, while Prosecutor Ntombi Marase argued that the accused had abused his parental authority and betrayed his daughter’s trust.
Forensic evidence connected him to the crime. The teenager told her grandmother about the rape, and her grandmother quickly took her to the hospital and the police. The family’s swift action and support helped the girl find her voice and pursue justice, even as she faced disbelief and denial from her own father.
The man had a previous rape conviction and did not show any regret, saying she made up the story. The court did not accept his explanation, pointing out the victim’s vulnerability, the seriousness of the crime, and that he had offended before. He received the maximum sentence.
And in the Free State town of Thaba Nchu, the Regional Court handed a life sentence without parole to 43-year-old Thapelo Johannes Ntoagae for the rape of a 4-year-old girl. He lured her to his shack, raped her, and was arrested after her mother found her missing and raised the alarm.
Even though there was no DNA evidence, Senior Public Prosecutor Ntai Letaba put together a strong case using other facts. The court learned that Ntoagae had been convicted before for attempted rape and rape, and that he committed this crime while on parole. The court decided he should stay in prison for life.
Teen survivors brave courtrooms to confront attackers
Teenage survivors are also seeing justice as courts take a tougher approach. In the North West, the Atamelang Regional Court gave 24-year-old Mbuti Isaac Mbewa a life sentence for raping a 15-year-old girl in 2021. He attacked her at a party, slapped her, and dragged her to a toilet where he raped her, even though she tried to call for help.
Advocate Edward Manicus argued there were no compelling circumstances to deviate from the minimum sentence, and Magistrate Stephan Du Toit agreed, highlighting the alarming rise in rape cases and the court’s duty to act decisively.
In Nelspruit, the Magistrates’ Court sentenced a 46-year-old man from Elandshoek to 40 years’ imprisonment for raping multiple victims over more than a decade, including a five-year-old and a close relative. DNA evidence linked him to crimes in Malelane, White River, and Nelspruit. Prosecutor Leana Jones argued that his guilty plea was driven only by overwhelming evidence and that the gravity of his crimes warranted the harshest possible sentence.
Domestic violence survivors see long-awaited justice
Some courts addressed cases where survivors endured horrific domestic abuse. In Upington, the Regional Court sentenced Heinrich Van Wyk, 35, to 12 years’ direct imprisonment for attempted murder after he doused his life partner with paraffin and set her alight during a domestic dispute in 2019.
She survived with burns to 25% of her body and permanent damage to her right hand. Despite her initial plea to withdraw charges, the state pressed ahead, with Prosecutor René du Plessis describing the attack as “repulsive” and rooted in control and jealousy.
Communities rally behind survivors as courts send a message
In Carnarvon, the Regional Court sentenced 43-year-old Jonathan Neels to 12 years in prison for the rape of a 19-year-old woman who had stopped at his grandmother’s home to use the toilet. Her screams alerted a neighbour, who intervened, and she later suffered an epileptic seizure from the trauma. Prosecutor Xolisa March presented witness testimony and a Victim Impact Statement detailing her ongoing psychological suffering.
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