This story has been updated…

Sergeant Mavis Mbatha recently received an award for securing the conviction of a paedophile who raped three children in the Bergville area. The award was presented to her by Uthukela District Commissioner, Major General Thulani Gonya.

The three girls, aged between 7 and 10, were raped in the Okhombe area of Bergville in October 2025.

According to police spokesperson Warrant Officer Basheer Khan, two of the girls had been visiting their friend when a man in the house raped all three of them.

The three young girls were lured into a room by the man. He used his cellphone to lure them in by allowing them to play games on it. While engrossed in the games, he quietly locked the door. He then switched on the television and played an adult film. To ensure that they watched, he took away the phone. He undressed and instructed them to imitate the actors in the movie.

The children did not immediately report the rapes and showed no visible signs of the incident. They later opened up to an educator, who immediately reported the matter to police.   

Officers from Ematsheni SAPS wasted no time in arresting the suspect.

Sergeant Mbatha of the Ladysmith Family Violence, Child Protection & Sexual Offences Unit was tasked with the investigation. After interviewing the suspect at Bergville Police Station, he was charged with three counts of rape and one count of sexual grooming.

Sergeant Mbatha worked night and day, building a case against the accused while ensuring that the three young victims received the best counselling possible. With the assistance of a forensic social worker, she meticulously recorded all the relevant evidence from the victims.

Her efforts were not in vain. The case was finalised in the Ladysmith Regional Court on June 30, where the accused was found guilty. He was sentenced to three terms of life imprisonment, one life term for each of the rapes. He received an additional five years for sexual grooming.

His name has been added into the National Register of Sexual Offenders. He has also been declared unfit to work around children and to possess a firearm.

The name of the accused has been withheld to safeguard the identity of the victims. This is normally done when the accused is either family or extremely well known in the community.

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