Man jailed for rape of girl
Petrus Nkapane Malaka (62) was sentenced to 25 years’ imprisonment by the Burgersfort Regional Court for raping a six-year-old.
Despite having pleaded not guilty, Petrus Nkapane Malaka (62) from Schoonoord, Dihlabaneng Village, received an effective 25-year jail term for a rape involving a six-year-old girl and an additional two years for displaying pornography to the child.
The state argued that there were no substantial and compelling circumstances to deviate from the prescribed minimum life sentence imprisonment, but the Burgersfort Regional Court imposed the 25-year direct imprisonment sentence last Wednesday. Malaka was found guilty on September 23, 2025.
NPA Limpopo Regional spokesperson Mashudu Malabi-Dzangi indicated that the sentences are to run concurrently, resulting in an effective 25 years imprisonment.
Malabi-Dzangi said the court also declared Malaka unfit to possess a firearm and ordered that his name be added to the National Register for Sex Offenders.
Malaka committed the crimes during 2018 and 2019 when he rented a room in the same yard as the victim’s family.
The court heard that the victim and her brother often went to Malaka’s room to watch TV.
When the victim was with Malaka in his room, he showed her pornographic videos, undressed her, and raped her.
During a second ordeal, Malaka invited the girl to watch TV and raped her again. The brother witnessed what had happened without being noticed and returned to their room.
Malaka gave the girl R1 and ordered her not to divulge to anyone what had happened.
The mother questioned her daughter after she heard her son tease his sister about ‘sleeping with elderly men’.
The girl then disclosed the assaults and was immediately reported to the local police.
In aggravation of the sentence, State Prosecutor Ngoako Petlo highlighted that Malaka was not a first-time offender, showed no remorse, and inflicted lifelong trauma on a child who trusted him.
The NPA welcomed the sentence, with Director of Public Prosecutions Advocate Ivy Thenga noting that the outcome stems from an extended period of dedicated investigative and prosecutorial effort.
Thenga further lauded Petlo and investigation officer Sergeant Letsatsi Mojalefa of SAPS Tubatse’s Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit for their work.
