Latest news with #MothibistadRegionalCourt
The South African
10 hours ago
- The South African
Two life sentences for man who raped and stabbed schoolgirls
A 33-year-old man received two life sentences plus 45 years for brutally raping, kidnapping, and attempting to murder two schoolgirls in Dithakong village near Mothibistad, Northern Cape. The Mothibistad Regional Court found Thabo Magwatane guilty on seven charges. The charges include housebreaking with intent to steal, two counts of kidnapping, two counts of rape, and two counts of attempted murder. According to the NPA, Magwatane and three accomplices broke into a home on 23 February 2022. Two matric learners, aged 17 and 18, lived there to attend school. The attackers cut the power and demanded cash and phones before stealing R100 and two cellphones. They then stripped the victims naked, blindfolded them, and forced them into the veld wearing only sandals. One man raped both girls en route to a river. At the river, a second man raped them again. After the rapes, one of the attackers instructed another to kill the girls. The girls were stabbed repeatedly in the upper body and left for dead. When one girl tried to move, the group returned. She was stabbed again as one man told another to 'finish her off.' During the second stabbing, a cellphone alarm rang. One victim, pretending to be dead, saw Magwatane, her cousin's boyfriend, trying to silence the phone. The attackers fled the scene. The girls lay bleeding in the veld for 30 minutes before helping each other to seek help. One house refused to help them. At another, residents gave them blankets and called their parents. Both victims went to the ICU, underwent reconstructive surgery, and faced a long physical and emotional recovery. Magwatane evaded arrest for almost two years. Police arrested him in Rustenburg in early 2024. The court rejected any arguments for leniency. Magwatane will serve his sentences concurrently with the life terms. A second accused, Obakeng Mosesane, 25, remains in custody. The court set his trial for 2 July 2025. The judge separated the matters because Magwatane had absconded earlier. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
IOL News
09-05-2025
- IOL News
Northern Cape man sentenced to life for raping his elderly grandmother
A 35-year-old man was sentenced to life imprisonment for raping his 72-year-old grandmother Image: Independent Newspapers A 35-year-old man has been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Mothibistad Regional Court for raping his 72-year-old grandmother, in a harrowing case that has shocked the Kagung Village community. The incident occurred on September 12, 2020, when the then 29-year-old man was living with his grandmother, who had raised him from infancy. National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Regional Spokesperson Mojalefa Senokoatsane said the grandmother was bathing in her bedroom using the same water the accused had previously used for a herbal bath. The accused, driven by what he described as a sudden "feeling," entered her bedroom and raped her. The elderly victim, who uses a walking stick, managed to flee and sought help from a neighbour. Police were called, and the accused was arrested shortly thereafter. Senokoatsane confirmed that the victim received ongoing support from the Kuruman Thuthuzela Care Centre (TCC), especially after the case was struck off the roll in 2021 due to delayed DNA results. "The TCC ensured that the victim was checked on and provided with all the psychological assistance she needed until the matter was re-enrolled," said Senokoatsane. Medical examination revealed that the victim suffered internal injuries and was bleeding, despite no longer menstruating. She later testified that she struggled to walk and experienced intense pain after the rape. During sentencing, Prosecutor Bernice Bronkhorst-Oor emphasised that the accused displayed no remorse and was dishonest in his testimony. She said the accused was a danger to society and had to be removed from society. The court found the accused's version of events implausible and ruled there were no compelling reasons to deviate from the minimum prescribed sentence. He was further declared unfit to possess a firearm or to work with older persons. His name has also been added to the National Register for Sex Offenders.
