Mahlangu was later linked to the offence through DNA evidence and subsequently arrested after initially fleeing.
The Groblersdal Regional Court in Limpopo has sentenced a 28-year-old man to life imprisonment for the 2024 rape of a 101-year-old woman.
Sifiso Johannes Mahlangu from Sehlakwana village in Zaaiplaas was also sentenced to an additional three years behind bars for housebreaking with intent to commit an offence.
The court ordered that the sentences run concurrently and that his name be entered into the National Register of Sexual Offenders.
In addition, Mahlangu was also declared unfit to possess a firearm.
Mahlangu rapes elderly woman and flees
He committed the heinous crime on 27 July 2024, when he broke into the elderly woman’s Zaaiplaas home, raped her and fled.
Mahlangu was later linked to the offence through DNA evidence and subsequently arrested.
He pleaded not guilty to all charges.
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National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi said during the trial, state prosecutor Sifiso Miya presented a victim impact report compiled by social worker Khomolo Mufunwa, along with a pre-sentence report.
‘Trauma and fear of men’
The reports, Malabi-Dzhangi, highlighted the severe psychological and emotional trauma suffered by the elderly victim, who no longer feels safe in her own home and has developed a fear of men.
“The prosecutor argued that Mahlangu is a sexual predator who deliberately preyed on a vulnerable and defenceless member of society, stressing that there were no substantial or compelling circumstances to justify deviating from the prescribed minimum sentence of life imprisonment.”
NPA welcomes sentence
The Director of Public Prosecutions in Limpopo, Advocate Ivy Thenga, welcomed the sentence and commended Miya and investigating officer Warrant Officer Phala of the Groblersdal Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit for their dedication in securing justice for the victim.
“All cases of sexual violence encroach on the rights to dignity and privacy of victims as enshrined in our Constitution,” Thenga said.
“The NPA is committed to aggressively prosecuting these cases.”
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