Middelburg High Court convicts teacher’s killer of murder
A 22-year-old woman was found guilty of murdering a teacher by stabbing her to death.
Rapeio, who appeared confident during the trial, broke down and cried in disbelief after her conviction today.
According to initial police reports, Rapeio and her 15-year-old co-accused (Witness X – she can not be identified because of her age) stabbed Grace multiple times and robbed her of her personal belongings at Loding Village near Vaalbank, KwaMhlanga.
The incident occurred on September 6, 2023.
Witness X
Witness X, who pleaded guilty and was convicted in August 2024, was one of the witnesses who testified for the State. She testified that she met with Rapeio on that day, where a plan to rob Grace was made and executed by the pair. According to her, they waited for Grace to return home at around 16:00, knocked on her door, and stabbed her to death.
Witness X said they then took her body to another room in the house, placed a wardrobe on top of her, and used the window to exit the room. The pair used Grace’s clothes to mop up the blood on the floor and threw the knives in a pit toilet. She told the court that Rapeio went to her home after the ordeal and she had to spent the night in Grace’s home.
Witness X told the court that Rapeio returned the following morning where, along with other friends, they drove to another village using the Grace’s car.
Rapeio’s testimony
Rapeio, in her testimony, denied ever being with Witness X that day, stating that she was with a friend playing Ludo at a tavern, a claim which the court rejected after Job Shabangu told the court that he saw her and another unknown woman entering and exiting Grace’s home that day. Shabangu was Grace’s neighbour and well known to Rapeio.
The accused also raised an alibi defence saying she was not with Witness X on the day of the murder, but was with a Mandla Mabena, who later testified that he was not with her as she claimed.
The court concluded that an alibi could not help her case at this stage and was merely an afterthought, further adding that although not mandatory, Rapeio had a duty to call these people that she claimed were with her that day, to strengthen her case, which she did not.
The defence before closing their case argued to the court not to take Witness X as a credible and reliable witness due to her age at the time of the offence, and her being a single witness, the court had to be cautious.
Judge Langa’s judgement
“I find it difficult to not view Witness X as a reliable witness because she never hesitated to answer any question during her testimony and cross-examination. She appeared to be a trustworthy witness and didn’t attempt to deny or downplay her role in committing the crime.”
Judge Langa added that she didn’t have anything to gain in her testimony, which implicated Rapeio, because she had already been convicted and sentenced.
Further evidence was led in court that placed Rapeio at the scene of the crime on the day of the murder by the neighbour, despite her denying it, another witness testified that Witness X called him that night and said she was with Rapeio.
Judge Langa concluded that the defence’s version was improbable and convicted Rapeio on both counts.
• The matter was postponed to February 9, 2026, for sentencing, and Rapeio’s bail was extended.
