MAN SENTENCED TO 18 YEARS FOR RAPE AND HOUSEBREAKING
6 June 2025
MAN SENTENCED TO 18 YEARS FOR RAPE AND HOUSEBREAKING
The Kuruman Magistrates’ Court has sentenced 26-year-old Tebelelo Motlhacwi, from Lexey village near Kuruman, to an effective 18 years of direct imprisonment following his conviction on charges of rape and housebreaking with intent to steal and theft. He was sentenced to 18 years for rape and 5 years for housebreaking, with the sentences to run concurrently.
The rape occurred on 2 September 2023, when the 28-year-old victim was walking home from a tavern. The accused tripped, accosted, and dragged her to her boyfriend’s house, where he raped and assaulted her.
The housebreaking incident took place earlier, on 31 July 2023, at Bojelakgomo Primary School. Teachers arrived to find classrooms and offices broken into, with laptops, internet modems, and tuck shop items stolen. Police investigations linked the accused to the crime, and he later pointed out where he had sold the stolen items.
In calling for a harsh sentence, Regional Court Prosecutor Kekeletso Lekota argued that the accused posed a significant danger to society. She emphasized that his rape of a vulnerable woman and his brazen burglary at a school demonstrated a disturbing disregard for human dignity and community values.
This sentence sends a strong message that gender-based violence and attacks on essential public institutions will not be tolerated. The National Prosecuting Authority remains steadfast in its mission to lead an unrelenting fight against crime that undermines the safety and cohesion of our society. We will relentlessly pursue perpetrators who prey on women, children, and the vulnerable, and those who target schools and other critical infrastructure. Criminals will face the full might of the law, there will be no refuge for those who violate the safety and dignity of our communities.
Issued by:
Mojalefa Senokoatsane
NPA Regional Spokesperson Northern Cape Division
Email: MSenokoatsane@npa.gov.za
Mobile: 073 423 3539