A 40-year-old man from Sedan Village has been sentenced to two life terms of imprisonment by the Nkowankowa Regional Court f raping two minor boys.
This was said by Limpopo National Prosecuting Authority Spokesperson Mashudu Dzangi in a statement on Monday.
Dzangi said the court also declared the man unfit to possess a firearm and ordered his name be entered into the National Register for Sex Offenders.
She said the man raped the two boys aged , 7 and 11 , who were known to him, on 15 March 2022.
The court heard the boys were returning from a soccer match when they met the accused. He asked them to help him carry bread and cold drinks to his home. Once inside, he gave them food and then refused to let them leave.
Prosecutors told the court he threatened the boys with a taser and repeatedly raped them.
The raped incident came to light when one of the boys told a friend what had happened. The friend told his family. The victims were taken to hospital for medical examinations and police arrested the accused soon after.
The accused pleaded not guilty and went to trial.
In arguing for a harsh sentence, State Prosecutor Michael Moretsele said rape remains prevalent in the area and only severe sentences would deter offenders. He told the court the boys were particularly vulnerable and the accused abused their trust. Moretsele said the offences caused significant and irreparable harm go the victims. He argued there were no substantial and compelling circumstances to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence of life imprisonment for each count.
Handing down sentence, the court agreed and imposed two life terms which will run consecutively.
Director of Public Prosecutions in Limpopo, Adv Ivy Thenga, welcomed the sentence.
“All cases of sexual violence infringe upon the rights to dignity and privacy of victims, as enshrined in the Constitution,” Thenga said. “The NPA remains committed to the vigorous prosecution of sexual offences.”
Thenga commended the prosecution and investigation teams for securing the conviction and sentence.
The NPA said it will continue to prioritise cases involving children and vulnerable victims.
