KURUMAN REGIONAL COURT SENTENCES MAN TO 15 YEARS’ IMPRISONMENT FOR HOUSEBREAKING WITH INTENT TO RAPE AND RAPE
20 FEBRUARY 2026
KURUMAN REGIONAL COURT SENTENCES MAN TO 15 YEARS’ IMPRISONMENT FOR HOUSEBREAKING WITH INTENT TO RAPE AND RAPE
Kuruman, Northern Cape – The Kuruman Regional Court has sentenced Tshepo Tumaeletse (28) of Ganap village near Kuruman to 15 years’ imprisonment for housebreaking with intent to rape and rape.
The conviction arises from an incident that occurred on 03 September 2022. The accused unlawfully entered the victim's room at her home and raped her before fleeing the scene. The victim, who was 19 years old at the time, immediately reported the incident to her grandmother in the main house, stating that she had been raped by an unknown person. A male cousin of the victim responded and observed distinctive All-Star sneaker footprints in the yard and near the victim’s bedroom window. Although the victim initially informed her family and the police that she did not know the identity of the perpetrator, DNA evidence presented by the State conclusively linked Tumaeletse to the crime.
During the trial, the accused claimed that he and the victim had allegedly met at a tavern and had agreed to spend time together and engage in sexual intercourse. The court rejected this version as false and improbable, considering the forensic and testimonial evidence, and found him guilty.
Regional Court Prosecutor Kekeletso Lekota submitted that gender-based violence remains a pervasive scourge within communities and that women are often violated in spaces where they should feel safest, their own homes. The State argued that an appropriate sentence was necessary to send an unequivocal message to would-be offenders.
In imposing sentence, the court applied the prescribed minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment. Two years of the sentence were wholly suspended for a period of five years on condition that the accused is not convicted of a similar offence during the period of suspension.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) remains steadfast in its commitment to combating gender-based violence. The NPA will continue to prioritise the vigorous prosecution of such offences to ensure that perpetrators are held accountable and that victims receive justice.
Issued by:
Mojalefa Senokoatsane
NPA Regional Spokesperson
Northern Cape Division
073 423 3539