The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has welcomed the sentencing of a 28 year old man from Sesalong Village to an effective 20 years direct imprisonment for raping a 95 year old woman.
According to the NPA, the Polokwane High Court sentenced the accused to 20 years for rape and eight years for housebreaking with intent to rape. The sentences will run concurrently, resulting in an effective 20-year prison term. The court also ordered that the accused be placed on the National Register for Sex Offenders and that his identity be withheld to protect the victim.
The NPA said the accused pleaded guilty and admitted that he knew the victim as the grandmother of his friend. The court heard that on 4 October 2025, he entered the victim’s home in Sesalong Village and raped her twice after she refused his sexual advances. He was arrested the following day after being apprehended by community members, while DNA evidence later linked him to the crime.
During sentencing, State Advocate Lerato Mohlaka presented a victim impact statement showing the severe emotional trauma suffered by the victim, who told the court she felt humiliated and betrayed by someone she regarded as a great grandchild. The prosecution argued that the accused’s intoxication, youth and remorse did not justify a lesser sentence and urged the court to impose a life sentence.
Welcoming the judgment, Limpopo Director of Public Prosecutions Advocate Ivy Thenga said the sentence reaffirmed the NPA’s commitment to securing justice for victims of gender-based violence and femicide , particularly vulnerable members of society.
She also commended the prosecutor, investigating officer and all stakeholders involved in the successful prosecution of the case.
Edited by Matlala Kgaugelo
