Man Sentenced to 15 Years' Imprisonment for Rape of Elderly Woman

15 April 2025

Man Sentenced to 15 Years' Imprisonment for Rape of Elderly Woman

Carolina – The Carolina Magistrates’ Court has sentenced Steven Gavanga (23) to 15 years of direct imprisonment for the rape of a 49-year-old woman. The sentence follows his guilty plea and subsequent conviction for the offence committed in March 2023.
 
The court heard that Gavanga went to the victim’s residence at Haarval Farm in Carolina while she was asleep. He strangled and raped her during the attack.

In aggravation of sentence, State Prosecutor Mashinini argued that the accused exploited the victim’s vulnerability, and his plea of guilty was due to the overwhelming evidence presented by the State. A Victim Impact Statement was also submitted, detailing the ongoing psychological and emotional trauma experienced by the complainant. She revealed that since the incident, she has had to rely on medication to sleep.

In mitigation, the defence argued that Gavanga was a young, first-time offender who was intoxicated at the time of the offence, requesting the court to regard these as substantial and compelling circumstances to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence.

After considering all evidence and submissions, the court imposed 15 years’ direct imprisonment. Additionally, Gavanga’s name will be entered into the National Register for Sexual Offenders, and he has been declared unfit to possess a firearm.
 
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) welcomes the swift finalisation of the matter. This sentence reinforces the NPA’s commitment to ensuring justice is served and protecting the rights and safety of all victims, especially the most vulnerable in our society.
 
“We remain steadfast in our pursuit of justice in sexual offences cases and will continue to support and stand with victims throughout the legal process,” said Mr Sonja Ntuli, Director of Public Prosecutions for the NPA in Mpumalanga.

Issued by:

Monica Nyuswa

Regional Spokesperson

NPA Mpumalanga

Tel: 013 045 0625

Cell: 076 485 5446

Email: mnyuswa@npa.gov.za