LIFE SENTENCE FOR RAPING WIFE'S ORPHANED NIECE

29 October 2025

LIFE SENTENCE FOR RAPING WIFE'S ORPHANED NIECE

Peddie, Eastern Cape – The Peddie Regional Court has sentenced Mluleki Makrwalana (62) to life imprisonment for raping his wife’s 16-year-old orphaned niece in November 2023. The sentencing was delivered on 28 October 2025. The court ordered his name entered into the National Register for Sex Offenders. The victim lost both parents in 2018. After a previous rape in Gqeberha in 2019 (withdrawn in 2022 pending investigation), her aunt Makrwalana’s wife took her in at Lower Gwalana, Peddie, where she shared a bedroom with their 12-year-old daughter. On the day of the incident, the aunt left for work. Makrwalana sent his daughter to deliver a letter to a neighbour and ordered the victim to stay. He entered the room wearing a condom, demanded she undress, forcibly removed her clothes when she refused, and raped her.

The teenager pushed him away, fled half-naked to a relative’s house, and sought help. Relatives confronted the aunt and insisted she report the matter, leading to Makrwalana’s arrest in January 2024. Regional Court Prosecutor Thobani Matyeni presented the victim’s testimony via closed-circuit television with an intermediary, alongside the first report witness, a relative who saw her fleeing, and a J88 medical report confirming sexual assault consistent with her account. Makrwalana claimed consensual intercourse, but the court rejected this as false.

In aggravation, Matyeni argued Makrwalana betrayed his father-figure role horrifically, showing no remorse. A Victim Impact Statement by Court Preparation Officer Busisiwe Matyalana detailed the victim’s ongoing trauma. The court found no substantial or compelling circumstances to deviate from the minimum sentence. Eastern Cape Director of Public Prosecutions Barry Madolo commended Constable Siphosethu Blom (FCS), the CPO, and Matyeni, stating, “This sentence signals that the NPA and justice partners will protect the vulnerable and hold sexual offenders accountable.” The NPA remains committed to justice for victims of sexual offences. Ends.

Issued by:

Luxolo Tyali

Regional Spokesperson

Eastern Cape Division

National Prosecuting Authority

Tel: 047 501 2630

Email: ltyali@npa.gov.za

Enquiries: Nokuthula Makupula

Tel: 068 268 2473