Polokwane: The Provincial Commissioner of police in Limpopo, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe, has expressed approval of the life imprisonment sentence handed down to an accused individual by the Mahwelereng Regional Court. The conviction is for a rape case that occurred in May 2022 at Mzombane.
According to South African Police Service, the accused was convicted for raping his 13-year-old niece in the Mahwelereng policing area. The court revealed that the incident took place on May 1, 2022, when the accused visited the victim's house to assist with preparations for an upcoming celebration. The victim's mother, who is also the accused's sister, left the house, leaving the victim and her siblings with the accused. While they were watching TV in the main home, the victim went to a shack in the backyard. The accused followed her, tied her hands with a rope, placed her on a bed, gagged her with a handkerchief, and raped her. He then threatened her to keep the incident a secret.
The victim eventually reported the incident on May 28, 2023, to the principal of another school in Limpopo. Upon learning of the incident, the school contacted the victim's parents, leading to the opening of a case docket at Mahwelereng police station.
The docket was subsequently transferred to Mokopane FCS, where Sergeant Lesetja Langa was assigned to further investigate the case. The accused was arrested on March 25, 2024, charged with rape, and granted bail of R1000. He attended the trial until September 18, 2025, when he was found guilty by the Mahwelereng Regional Court and sentenced to life imprisonment for the crime.