A Mozambican man has been handed two life sentences in jail for the rape and murder of an 11-year-old girl in Kliptown, south of Johannesburg.
Jorge Tivane appeared in the Lenasia Regional Court on Thursday, 22 May 2026.
The 21-year-old was identified by community members and subsequently arrested by the South African Police Service (Saps) after it emerged that he was the last person seen walking with the little girl towards the area where her body was later discovered.
Conviction
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Magaboke Mohlatlole said Tivane was convicted of rape and murder following an incident on 19 December 2022.
“Investigations led by Sergeant Mofokeng from Kliptown Police Station revealed that the 11-year-old was last seen walking with the accused towards a veld. Her body was later discovered strangled to death.”
Mohlatlole said DNA evidence recovered from a piece of clothing found on the deceased’s body positively linked Tivane to the crime.
“On 3 July 2025, Tivane pleaded guilty to both rape and murder. In his plea explanation, he admitted luring the 11-year-old girl into the bushes with the promise of sweets, raping her, and then strangling her to death with a piece of clothing.”
Sentencing
During sentencing, State Prosecutor Tumi Maunye emphasised the brutal and premeditated nature of the offence, noting that the victim was a vulnerable minor with mental challenges.
Maunye stressed the profound and lasting trauma inflicted on the victim’s family and the accused’s lack of remorse, calling for the maximum prescribed sentences.
Mohlatlole said the court accepted the state’s submissions and sentenced Jorge Tivane to life imprisonment for murder and life imprisonment for the rape of the minor.
Mohlatlole said the NPA remains committed to prosecuting crimes against vulnerable members of society and ensuring justice for victims of gender-based violence (GBV) and child abuse.
