LIFE AND 10 YEARS IMPRISONMENT FOR RAPE AND ASSAULT

22 AUGUST 2025

LIFE AND 10 YEARS IMPRISONMENT FOR RAPE AND ASSAULT

The Esikhaleni Regional Court has sentenced a 37-year-old man to life and 10 years imprisonment after he pleaded guilty (Section 112 Plea) to the rape and the assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm (assault GBH) of his ex-girlfriend in October 2024.

The accused and complainant had been in a love relationship, and they shared a child together. However, at the time of the incident, they were no longer together. On 28 October 2024, they met in the Chibini area, and the accused forced her to go with him to his homestead where he raped and assaulted her. Thereafter he took her to Umlazi, where he was renting (for employment purpose). There he further raped her and assaulted her with grass slasher all over her body.

At some point he left the complainant as he needed to go to work, and she managed to escape. She fled to Mtunzini where she reported the matter, and the accused was subsequently arrested. The complainant was taken to the Ngwelezane Thuthuzela Care Centre (TCC) for medical and psycho-social assistance.

In aggravation of sentence, the prosecutor, Kamogelo Mahila Nkwatle handed in a Victim Impact Statement(VIS) compiled by the complainant, and facilitated by Court Preparation Officer, Ntombi Chonco wherein the complainant said that the incident has traumatised her and she still experiences flashbacks. She had sustained physical injuries during the incident, and these are now a permanent reminder of her ordeal, she added.

The accused was sentenced to life imprisonment for rape, and 10 years imprisonment for assault GBH. The court ordered that the sentences run concurrently and, the accused was declared unfit to possess a firearm. The court ruled that the complainant has a right to make representations should the accused be considered for parole or correctional supervision. In addition, the complainant has the right to attend any relevant meetings of the parole board.

The NPA’s fight against the scourge of sexual violence has been aided by the expansion of the TCC footprint across the country, which has grown from 55 TCCs in 2020/2021 to 64 TCCs at present. The TCCs provide comprehensive services and support to victims of sexual violence. We hope that this sentence conveys the NPA’s stance on gender-based violence and sexual offences.

Issued by:

Natasha Ramkisson-Kara

NPA Regional Spokesperson

KZN Division

0716700229