RAPIST SENTENCED TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT
20 MAY 2025
RAPIST SENTENCED TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT
Molopo, North West – The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) welcomes the life imprisonment sentence handed down by the Molopo Regional Court to Daniel Sekunelo Togole (57) for rape and additional twenty years for robbery with aggravating circumstances. The court ordered that both sentences run concurrently, and the accused has been added to the National Register for Sex Offenders. The convictions relate to an incident on the evening of 04 September 2012 in Mmabatho near Mafikeng.
It is alleged that the victim was with her friends at Mmabatho CBD, seated in a car, when three unknown men emerged and attacked them. Evidence presented in court revealed that these three men had masks covering their heads and their hands covered with gloves. Upon their arrival, they searched the car and the occupants in the car. The driver was fastened with a rope and was put at the back of the bakkie. The car was driven until it reached the bushes where they robbed the victim’s cell phones, property and cash amounting to R40,00. Togole sexually assaulted a young woman aged 21 at the time. After the rape incident, they left the victims in the bushes, and they managed to drive to the nearest clinic seeking for help. A case of rape was opened, police investigations led by Warrant Officer Tshepang Lentsokwe only linked Togole to the offence through DNA. He was arrested three years later and has been in custody since.
Despite pleading not guilty, he was found guilty based on compelling evidence presented by the prosecution. In aggravation of sentence, Advocate Kefentse Diseko argued that the accused showed no remorse for his actions. He emphasised the gravity and prevalence of rape in his arguments for sentencing. He articulated that Togole's actions constituted a violation of the victim’s constitutional rights to bodily integrity and safety, resulting in brutal violence and lasting trauma. In his ruling, Magistrate Ndade Maphango acknowledged the aggravating circumstances of the case. He ruled that the accused showed no remorse and targeted a vulnerable person, being a woman.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) welcomes the life sentence handed down to the convicted rapist as a strong reaffirmation of the justice system’s unwavering commitment to protecting the rights and dignity of victims of sexual violence.
Welcoming the outcome, Dr Rachel Makhari, Director of Public Prosecutions in the North West, commended the prosecutor, the investigating officer, and all members of the criminal justice system who played a pivotal role in securing this conviction. “This judgment not only delivers justice to the victim but also sends a powerful message that gender-based violence will not be tolerated in South Africa. We hope it serves as a deterrent to would-be offenders,” she said. This ruling reinforces the judiciary’s zero-tolerance stance on sexual violence and affirms the collective resolve of the NPA and law enforcement partners to pursue justice without fear or favour.
Issued by:
Sivenathi Gunya
Communications Officer -North West Division
National Prosecuting Authority
078 172 9367