The man was on parole for another rape case that occurred in 2008.
Warning: This article contains graphic descriptions of child sexual abuse, grooming, and exploitation, which may be upsetting or triggering for some readers. Reader discretion is advised.
A Tshwane parolee has been sentenced to two life terms in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court for raping his nine-year-old nephew and a neighbour’s 13-year-old son in April 2022.
The 53-year-old Mamelodi East man, who pleaded not guilty to the two counts of rape, did not seem to have learnt his lesson after serving time for committing the same offence 12 years prior.
Two boys raped on the same day
Returning to his old ways while on parole on 12 April 2022, the man tricked an unsuspecting neighbour’s son into following him home under the pretence of needing help to fix a door.
The teen had been playing in the street with his friends at the time.
When they were inside the house, the man closed the door and proceeded to rape the boy, threatening to kill him if he screamed.
The man then instructed the boy to dress up and not to tell anyone about what had happened.
The boy left the man’s house and went back to play with his friend.
Later that day, while the man and his nephew were in the house where they live with the boy’s mother, he undressed the child and inserted his fingers in his buttocks, causing him to bleed.
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The boy’s mother – who is the man’s sister – was at work when the incident happened.
When she returned, the boy was courageous enough to tell his mom what happened.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said the mother opened a case against her brother the following day.
“When the neighbour’s child heard about the arrest, he came forward and reported the matter to the police,” Mahanjana said in a statement on Wednesday.
“Both victims were taken to Mamelodi Thuthuzela Care Centre (TCC), where they received medical, psychological, and legal assistance from the police and prosecutors,” she added.
State prosecutor proves guilt
During the trial, the man denied the rapes and alleged that his sister fabricated the charges due to a family house dispute.
However, state prosecutor Andries Ntjana presented compelling evidence proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
“During sentencing, the accused, through his legal representative, sought leniency, citing his role as a family man with two children and a wife, arguing a lengthy sentence would separate him from them,” Mahanjana said.
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“However, Ntjana countered that the man was on parole for a 2008 rape conviction when he committed these offences, showing no remorse and blaming his sister.”
Lifelong scars and shattered trust
Ntjana also submitted Victim Impact Statements facilitated by court preparation officer Kgomotso Lodi, detailing the victims’ humiliation and lifelong scars and the mothers’ shattered trust.
Mahanjana said Magistrate Lynn Pillay agreed with the state that the man showed no remorse and that he committed this offence while on parole for the same offence.
“Furthermore, she said that the man committed these offences against children who were close to him and saw him as an uncle.”
Pillay emphasised rape’s degrading nature and the courts’ duty to protect communities.
She found no compelling circumstances to deviate from the minimum sentence.
Pillay also ordered that his name be entered into the National Register for Sex Offenders and declared him unfit to work with children and unfit to possess a firearm.
Acting Director of Public Prosecutions Advocate Marika Jansen Van Vuuren said the sentence sent a clear message that the NPA prioritises gender-based violence cases targeting vulnerable children and “will pursue justice relentlessly”.
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