FAMILY FRIEND SENTENCED TO FOUR LIFE TERMS FOR RAPE AND IMPREGNATING A MINOR BATTLING CANCER

28 OCTOBER 2025

FAMILY FRIEND SENTENCED TO FOUR LIFE TERMS FOR RAPE AND IMPREGNATING A MINOR BATTLING CANCER

Tsakane, Gauteng – The Tsakane Regional Court has sentenced a 47-year-old man from Tsakane Extension 13 to four life terms for four counts of rape of a 13-year-old minor. The court ordered the sentences to run concurrently, with his name added to the National Register for Sexual Offenders and declared him unfit to work with children.

From December 2015 until April 2016 on four different occasions when the child would go to her elderly grandmother’s place In Tsakane Ext 13 to assist her with house chores. The family friend who is also a neighbor would call the child to his place, rape her and threaten to kill her if she told anyone the rape incidents until she fell pregnant.

In October 2016 when the 13-year-old minor had gone back to the doctor for her regular cancer treatment, the doctors discovered that she was 6months pregnant and had contracted Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). When the doctor enquired about the pregnancy, the child disclosed that she was raped by the family friend. The mother of the child reported the matter to the police, and the family friend was arrested in November 2016. However, the matter was provisionally withdrawn and was placed back on the roll in 2020 when the neighbor was summoned by J175.

In court he pleaded not guilty to the charges and denied raping the child, however the regional court prosecutor Tholwana Jessica Khakhathiba adduced evidence that proved the man’s guilt. During sentencing, his legal representative the man asked the court to deviate from imposing the prescribed minimum sentence due to his ill health which has deteriorated since his incarceration., but Khakhathiba urged for life imprisonment, because the man did not show any remorse and continued to maintain his innocence even after conviction. Furthermore, the man committed gruesome offences towards a defenseless child which was already suffering from a chronic illness. Not only did the man impregnate the child he also infected her with HIV and took away her innocence.

The prosecutor also read into the record the Victim Impact Statement (VIS) facilitated by the Court Preparation Officer, Nothando Mbatha, which detailed the psychological, academic, social and physical trauma the child suffered because of the rape incidents. The court found aggravating circumstances far outweighed mitigating factors, agreeing with the state that the accused showed no remorse for the offences. The sentence was deemed appropriate.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) welcomes the sentence, hoping it deters potential offenders and demonstrates its commitment to combating gender-based violence (GBV). Ends.

Issued by:

Lumka Mahanjana

NPA Regional Spokesperson

Gauteng Division: Pretoria

Email: lmahanjana@npa.gov.za

Tel: 073 002 0000