The Madadeni Regional Court has sentenced a 30-year-old man to life imprisonment for raping his 28-year-old ex-girlfriend. The rape was committed in Osizweni in 2025.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has welcomed the sentence. According to Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, NPA regional spokesperson for the KwaZulu-Natal Division, the accused and the complainant had previously been in a romantic relationship and shared a child.

“However, they were no longer together at the time the offence was committed,” she said.

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Victim lured under false pretenses

On the day of the incident, the victim was walking along the road when the accused and another man drove past her.

“They stopped the vehicle and the accused told her he had purchased items for their child. He then asked her to accompany him to collect the items and she agreed, getting into the vehicle with the two men,” said Ramkisson-Kara.

Instead of taking her to collect the purported items, the men drove to a nearby cemetery, where they both raped her.

After the attack, the victim walked home and told her family what had happened. The matter was immediately reported to the police and she was taken to the Madadeni Thuthuzela Care Centre, where she received medico-legal and psycho-social support.

“Following her identification of the perpetrator, the accused was arrested. His co-perpetrator, however, was never found,” Ramkisson-Kara said.

DNA evidence strengthens prosecution

State prosecutor Sicelo Hlela led the evidence of the complainant and a family member to whom she first reported the rape.

“The state further relied on DNA evidence and a J88 medical report to strengthen its case.”

During sentencing, the victim described the profound impact the rape has had on her life. She told the court that she had once been outgoing and vibrant, but had been left deeply traumatised by the ordeal.

In addition to imposing a life sentence, the court declared the accused unfit to possess a firearm and ordered that his name be entered into the National Register for Sex Offenders.

Ramkisson-Kara said the NPA remained committed to combating sexual offences and gender-based violence.

“This commitment is reinforced by the continued expansion of the Thuthuzela Care Centre network, which has grown from 55 centres in 2020/2021 to 66 centres currently operating across the country. These centres provide integrated medical, legal and psycho-social services to survivors of sexual violence, thereby improving support for victims and strengthening the prosecution of these offences,” she concluded.

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