A 25-year-old undocumented Lesotho national has been sentenced to 25 years in jail for raping a teenager in the Eastern Cape.
Retsidisitsoe Makhabane appeared in the Sterkspruit Regional Court on Monday, where the sentence was handed down.
He was found guilty of rape for an incident that occurred on 10 September 2023 in Tienbak Locality.
Rape
During proceedings, the court heard how a 14-year-old girl had been sent to a nearby shop when she was accosted by Makhabane, who began questioning her and attempted to persuade her to accompany him to another location.
When she refused, he dragged and strangled her, preventing her from screaming for help, and forcibly took her to a nearby shack.
“Once inside, the accused pushed the victim against the door, forcefully undressed her, and raped her. The victim attempted to resist, including biting the assaulter on the neck, but he overpowered her and continued with the assault,” National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Luxolo Tyali said.
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Arrest
Tyali said the teen managed to escape when Makhabane fell asleep.
“While walking home, two women noticed her crying and enquired about what had happened. They returned with her to the shack, but the rapist had already fled the scene. They reported the incident to the police, and he was arrested at his home on the following day.”
Trial
Makhabane pleaded not guilty. State Prosecutor Anele Magibile presented the evidence of the victim, a first report witness, and the J88 medical report, which corroborated the victim’s account of the rape.
“In his defence, the accused called a witness to support his version. However, the witness distanced himself from the accused’s account and did not corroborate his defence.
“The court found the State’s evidence credible and reliable, rejected the accused’s version as improbable, and subsequently found him guilty as charged,” Tiyali said.
In addition to the 25-year term of imprisonment, the court declared Makhabane unfit to possess a firearm, ordered that his particulars be entered into the National Register for Sex Offenders, and ruled that he may not work with children.
Deportation
As a Lesotho national, the court further ordered that he be deported to his country of origin upon completion of his sentence.
Eastern Cape Director of Public Prosecutions Barry Madolo commended the prosecution and investigation teams for their work in securing justice.
Madolo said the NPA remains resolute in its commitment to vigorously prosecute gender-based violence and ensure that survivors are protected and supported through the criminal justice process.
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