South African courts this week delivered a string of heavy sentences in cases involving rape, child abuse, and violent crimes against women and children, underscoring the judiciary’s growing intolerance of gender-based violence (GBV).
In one of the most chilling cases, the Evander Magistrates’ Court in Mpumalanga on Wednesday sentenced 39-year-old Khutso Christopher Seopa to four life terms plus 45 years’ imprisonment. Seopa was convicted of raping four women, kidnapping two, and committing additional crimes, including robbery, unlawful possession of a firearm, and escaping custody between 2017 and 2020.
Seopa preyed on women hitchhiking in the evenings, luring them to isolated areas where he subjected them to repeated assaults. DNA evidence linked him to the attacks. Although he pleaded not guilty, the court found his victims’ testimonies credible and the forensic evidence damning.
State prosecutor Sheetal Kissoon told the court that rape “destroys the very essence of victims’ physical and mental integrity” and called for severe punishment. Seopa will now spend the rest of his life behind bars, with the court also declaring him unfit to work with children or own a firearm.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) hailed the ruling. “This sentence is a reflection of the bravery of the victims and the tireless work of investigators and prosecutors,” said NPA Mpumalanga spokesperson Monica Nyuswa.
Violence Against Children
In Limpopo, the Lenyenye Regional Court sentenced 40-year-old Isaac Robert Molewa to 35 years’ imprisonment for brutally attacking his 13-year-old cousin in 2019. Molewa stabbed the girl several times before robbing her of household items, including cellphones and a decoder.
He was convicted of robbery with aggravating circumstances, attempted murder, and housebreaking. State prosecutor Pearl Ledwaba argued that Molewa had “betrayed his duty to protect his own family” by attacking a defenceless minor in her home.
Advocate Ivy Thenga, Director of Public Prosecutions in Limpopo, praised the sentence: “This conviction sends a clear message that violence against children and women will not be tolerated. We will continue to prosecute such crimes with the urgency they demand.”
Serial Rapist Jailed for 40 Years
In another Mpumalanga case, a 46-year-old serial rapist from Elandshoek was sentenced to 40 years’ imprisonment by the Nelspruit Magistrates’ Court. His victims included a five-year-old girl and a teenage family relative. The man pleaded guilty after overwhelming DNA evidence linked him to multiple rapes committed between 2008 and 2022 across Malelane, White River, and Nelspruit.
Prosecutor Leana Jones argued that his guilty plea was “an admission of defeat in the face of damning evidence,” stressing that rape “remains a national crisis violating the dignity of women and children.”
Like Seopa, the man was declared unfit to own a firearm or work with children, and his name will be added to the National Register for Sex Offenders.
Body Parts Case
Separately, in Gauteng, 26-year-old Mozambican traditional healer Aizeque Zacaria Cumbuia abandoned his bail bid at the Ga-Rankuwa Magistrates’ Court. He faces charges of possession of human tissue after police discovered body parts in a room linked to a murder investigation in Brits. His case was postponed to October for further investigations.
Alarming Crime Statistics
The spate of convictions comes as South Africa grapples with alarming levels of violence against women and children. According to the South African Police Service’s 2024/25 statistics, more than 42,000 rapes were reported nationwide in the past year, averaging over 115 cases a day. Experts warn the true figure may be much higher, as many victims never report attacks.
Ramaphosa’s Warning
President Cyril Ramaphosa, in his latest address on gender-based violence delivered last week, described GBV as “South Africa’s second pandemic” after Covid-19. He urged communities to “break the silence that protects perpetrators” and promised increased support for victims through the GBV Command Centre and funding for shelters.
“Every court ruling that takes a rapist or child abuser off our streets is a step towards reclaiming our country from this scourge,” Ramaphosa said. “But it cannot be left to the police and courts alone. Society as a whole must confront and end this violence.”
Relentless Prosecution
The NPA stressed that the week’s convictions were only a fraction of the daily prosecutions across the country. “These sentences reaffirm our commitment to protecting the most vulnerable in our society,” said NPA Limpopo spokesperson Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi.
Civil society groups have welcomed the stiff punishments, though they caution that more resources are needed for prevention, victim support, and rehabilitation of offenders.
As the courts continue to hand down long sentences, the fight against gender-based violence remains at the centre of South Africa’s justice and social agenda.
