Limpopo – The Mahwelereng Regional Court has convicted and sentenced a 35-year-old Limpopo man for raping a 68-year-old granny he claimed was his “girlfriend”.

Prince Kabelo Monethe (35), from Ga-Chaba Mapela village, forced himself on Mmaphuti Mahlamela on December 16, 2023. 

During the trial, it emerged that the man had abandoned his underwear at the crime scene before fleeing. 

Monethe pleaded not guilty in court and insisted the pensioner was his girlfriend. 

The court heard that Mahlamela was asleep at her home in the same village, in the early hours of 16 December 2023, when she heard noise coming from the kitchen. 

As she went to investigate, Monethe accosted and raped the granny multiple times. He was later linked to the crime through DNA evidence and was subsequently arrested.

The Mokopane Regional Court also heard that Warrant Officer Chuene Selolo, of the Mokopane Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offence Unit, who was the investigating officer, found Monethe’s underwear at the scene. 

In aggravation of sentence, the state prosecutor, Takalani Sydney Mboyi, argued on July 18, 2025, that the court should consider the severe psychological impact the incident had on Mahlamela. 

He further highlighted that the family had to incur significant costs to enhance the security of their home to feel safe again. Mboyi also noted Monethe’s lack of remorse and his continued insistence that the victim was his girlfriend.

Prosecutor Mboyi submitted that the court should impose the prescribed minimum sentence of life imprisonment, as there were no substantial and compelling circumstances to warrant a lesser sentence. 

“The court concurred and sentenced the accused accordingly,” Mboyi said in an interview with African Times.

The Director of Public Prosecutions in Limpopo, Advocate Ivy Thenga, said Monethe’s jail term reaffirmed the National Prosecuting Authority’s commitment to the fight against gender-based violence. She commended the prosecution team for their dedication in ensuring justice for the victim and praised prosecutor Mboyi and all stakeholders involved in securing the conviction.