Moses Gqesha sentenced to eight life terms for the brutal rape of businesswoman Andy Kawa
Justice served: Moses Gqesha receives eight life sentences for raping entrepreneur Andy Kawa.
Image: File
Moses Gqesha has been sentenced to eight life terms and 34 years for 12 counts including robbery, assault, theft and rape of Gauteng businesswoman Andy Kawa.
The sentence was handed down by the Eastern Cape High Court on Thursday. Gqesha attacked and raped Kawa in a terrifying night for nearly 15 hours near Kings Beach in December 2010 before she escaped in the morning.
In an emotional moment, Kawa's daughter confronted the convicted rapist in the court.
"This is absolutely unacceptable, you can't even look at me. You don't even have the courage to look at me, you're staring at the newspaper it is completely disgusting and unacceptable," she said.
After the ordeal, Kawa became a gender-based violence (GBV) advocate and author. She described the life-changing experience in a memoir. Kwanele, enough! My Battle with the SAPS to get Justice for Women.
The entrepreneur claimed the police did not do enough to find her that night, nor did they swiftly acquire physical evidence, question prospective suspects and witnesses, or investigate video footage, among other things.
Video Player is loading.
Play Video
Play
Unmute
Current Time
0:00
/
Duration
-:-
Loaded :
0%
Stream Type LIVE
Seek to live, currently behind live
LIVE
Remaining Time
-
0:00
This is a modal window.
Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.
Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque
Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps
Reset
restore all settings to the default values Done
Close Modal Dialog
End of dialog window.
Advertisement
Next
Stay
Close ✕
In 2018, she recounted memories from the night of the attack.
She said that while immersing her feet in the ocean and texting a friend, she looked up and spotted a man who instantly made her feel uneasy. "The eyes, there was something about his eyes that caught my attention. He had very angry eyes," she said. "He grabbed me from the back and gave me a few punches, he told me not to shout, or he would kill me."
Kawa attempted to flee, but her attacker tied her down with a knife to her throat and threatened to murder her.
IOL News
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Citizen
an hour ago
- The Citizen
2 Gauteng cops fired after kidnapping and extortion arrests
Two SAPS members have been dismissed following their arrest in connection with kidnapping and extortion, in a case that has sent shockwaves through Gauteng. Vaalweekblad reports that Constables Thabiso Pule Paul Molefe (32) and Paseka Matena (33), both members of the SAPS Highway Patrol Unit, were arrested by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) earlier this year in connection with a case opened in Springs. The two officers were found guilty following internal disciplinary hearings conducted under the SAPS Discipline Regulations of 2016. Both have been sanctioned with dismissal, pending final confirmation by the provincial commissioner. Public reaction to the arrests and dismissals has been swift. Ian Cameron, DA Member of Parliament and well-known policing accountability advocate, took to social media to praise the outcome. 'Some good news: dirty cops out,' he wrote, highlighting this as a meaningful example of consequence management in the SAPS. 'The public demands accountability, and this is a step in the right direction. We need a police service that earns the trust of law-abiding South Africans.' Molefe, who is reportedly the son of a former high-ranking police official, and his co-accused Matena, were allegedly involved in a scheme where they kidnapped victims and extorted money from them under the guise of official police operations. Their arrest and dismissal are being hailed as a success for IPID and an important signal that misconduct within SAPS will not be tolerated. The case also underscores growing calls for transparency and reform in the police service. Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal. Read original story on At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Daily Maverick
10 hours ago
- Daily Maverick
Nafiz Modack convicted of corruption — trial for multiple murders continues
In 2011, alleged underworld figure Nafiz Modack paid a corrupt, high-ranking police official to recover his vehicles using state resources. Nearly 14 years later, the top cop's plea agreement was used to convict Modack of corruption charges. Alleged underworld figure Nafiz Modack has been acquitted on charges before, but for the first time on Friday, 6 June 2025, he was convicted by a court on corruption charges. The corruption occurred in 2011, and nearly 14 years later, thanks to a plea agreement by former Brigadier Kolindhren Govender, a court could convict Modack. Several cases, including the murder of late Anti-Gang Unit Lieutenant Colonel Charl Kinnear, remain to be resolved. Govender entered into a plea and sentencing agreement on 2 December 2019 and pleaded guilty to 51 counts of corruption and a count of contravening the South African Police Service Act. Among the reasons that this case took so long to resolve was that some of the final witnesses testified only last year. According to investigators, since Modack has been behind bars since April 2021, he no longer poses a threat to or can intimidate witnesses. The central point of this corrupt relationship was that Govender instructed police officers under his command to recover missing vehicles belonging to Modack. On Monday, 9 June, National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Western Cape spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said police recovered vehicles, including two exotic vehicles, which were handed over to Modack without following due process. The NPA did not comment on how many vehicles were recovered through the corrupt scheme. None of the recovered vehicles, he added, were processed through SAPS records, nor were any police dockets or inquiries opened and registered in any of the incidents. At the time of the offence, Modack was the sole owner of the businesses AMG Auto and Peuxon Properties. Court papers dating back to the time of the corruption said: 'In and during November 2011 Brigadier Govender commenced accepting gratification from Modack. Regular payments in a total of R146,600 were paid to Govender in return for special treatment and favours.' Govender pleaded guilty to 51 charges of corruption that relate to a corrupt relationship he had with Modack. He was handed five years' imprisonment, of which four-and-a-half years were suspended. The sentence was ordered to run concurrently with the six-year sentence that was handed down on a different matter. Payments for special treatment Senior State prosecutor advocate Louis van Niekerk successfully argued that Brigadier Govender received R146,000 from the two firms' accounts between November 2011 and August 2013. Van Niekerk also contended that the 51 payments Modack made had no legitimate purpose. He stated: 'Modack made regular payments to Brigadier Govender as a high-ranking South African Police Service (SAPS) member in return for special treatment and favours. Police were not allowed to do private work or preferential work for members of the public. 'Members of the public were not allowed to reward members of the SAPS. Modack never gave statements for any of the recovered vehicles. There were no statements by the arresting officer. There were no SAP13 recordings. No dockets were registered. His version was that they were his vehicles,' Van Niekerk explained. The court concluded that, given the evidence in totality, Modack was guilty of corruption relating to the recovery of motor vehicles. The case has been postponed until 8 July 2025 for Modack's sentencing. Murder charges In another case, Modack is on trial for a range of charges, including multiple murders and attempted murders. He was arrested in April 2021 in connection with the murder of Kinnear. Kinnear was assassinated outside his house in Bishop Lavis in September 2020. At the time of his demise, he was investigating Modack. Modack and former rugby player and debt collector Zane Kilian are the two main accused in Kinnear's assassination. The State contends that they also conspired in an attempt to murder lawyer William Booth in April 2020. In that case, Modack and Kilian, with the other accused, are collectively facing 124 charges, including murder, attempted murder, corruption, gangsterism, extortion, the illegal interception of communications, money laundering and contravention of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act. Modack and his co-accused pleaded not guilty to the charges in January 2024. In March 2024, a State witness, who can be referred to only as 'Mr A' to protect his identity, implicated Modack as the person who allegedly ordered a hit on Nicolaas Heerschap, the father of Hawks officer Nico Heerschap. He said Modack told him he was proud of the hit. In January 2025, Western Cape High Court Judge Robert Henney dismissed several charges against Modack and his 14 co-accused, but not the principal charges of murder and attempted murder. Another pending case against Modack, his wife Rehana, and police officers is firearm licence fraud, which will be heard in Gauteng. In addition, Modack also faces charges in a massive tax fraud case involving more than R46-million, and his mother is allegedly the criminal enterprise's manager. Investigators told Daily Maverick that once all these cases had been concluded, Modack would be apprehended in connection with a probe into R50-million vehicle and property asset finance corruption. Another cop in Modack's web Modack had an alleged corrupt association with other police officers before Govender. Former AGU Sergeant Ashley Tabisher lost his job as a result of this alleged corrupt relationship with Modack. Tabisher faces charges of corruption for allegedly warning Modack about Anti-Gang Unit operations. It is alleged Tabisher received R10,000 from co-accused Amaal Jantjies. He was eventually released in December last year. Tabisher intends to bring an application to be acquitted on all charges. Furthermore, evidence presented in the Kinnear murder trial heard in the Western Cape High Court in April suggested that Modack was allegedly deceived by a middleman while trying to bribe former top cops Major General Jeremy Vearey and the late Kinnear. Modack's bank statements reveal that he made R600,000 in payments that he allegedly thought would go to Vearey and Kinnear. The payments were made for the return of his firearms that had been confiscated by the Anti-Gang Unit in 2017. Modack did not receive the confiscated firearms and Vearey, who had no involvement in the bribery scheme, did not receive a cent as Modack had apparently been duped by a middleman. DM
IOL News
13 hours ago
- IOL News
Pilot and two passengers on missing aircraft in KZN, confirmed dead
"We express our deepest condolences to the families of the deceased passengers," said MEC for Transport and Human Settlements in KZN, Siboniso Duma. "ARCC informed us that they will be handing over the matter to the South African Police Service's (SAPS) Accident and Incident Investigation Division and the South African Civil Aviation Authority for the official investigation. The aircraft , which left the Virginia Airport at around 3pm on the day was reportedly operated by a student pilot. The Pyper Cherokee aircraft that went missing on Sunday has been found. However, the Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre (ARCC) has confirmed that all three passengers aboard, were found dead. The Pyper Cherokee aircraft with the registration of ZSKFB was last seen on Sunday. The aircraft took off from Virginia Airport, Durban, around 3pm and did not reach its intended destination. It was last tracked flying over Ladysmith, heading south towards either Pietermaritzburg or Greytown. Duma said they were informed by the ARCC that they would be handing over the matter to the SAPS's Accident and Incident Investigation Division and the South African Civil Aviation Authority for the official investigation. He said they were in communication with Zama Biyela, the mother of the late student pilot (Nqobile Biyela). "This is the most difficult period for her and the entire family. "Losing such a young great leader with a promising career in the aviation industry, under such circumstances, is not only tragic but devastating. "Officials from my office and Ayanda Msweli, the country's leading traffic anchor, are in touch with Biyela family and we will locate the other families to express our condolences, and we salute rescue teams for their display of efficiency." He singled out ARCC, SAPS Search and Rescue, Fire and Rescue Okhahlamba, Search and Rescue Zone Association, KZN Provincial EMS, Hamnet, ER24, Netcare911, Berg Flying, Greytown G911, Umboti Community Services, MTN and the Bhanoyi Airfield Estate for their efforts in the search mission. Meanwhile, Duma said his department had announced plans in April, through guidance from the aviation industry and the Economic Regulations for Transport Act, regarding major work being done at various airports in the province like Margate, Oribi, Umkhuze, Richards Bay and Virginia Airports. "We are currently harmonising our work with relevant departments such as SA Aviation Authority, Airport Company of South Africa, Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs," he said. Additional Reporting: DAILY NEWS REPORTER
