A 35-year-old man has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the rape and murder of five-year-old Renesh Gollane Palane in the Angelo Informal Settlement in Boksburg.
NPA Gauteng spokesperson Magaboke Mohlatlole said Thabang Elistas Mmako was convicted of rape and murder in the High Court of South Africa, Gauteng Local Division, Johannesburg sitting in Palm Ridge on Monday 14 September 2026.
Mmako was sentenced to life imprisonment on each count, with the court ordering the sentences to run concurrently.
This resulted in an effective sentence of life imprisonment.
According to Mohlatlole, the court heard that Renesh was playing outside with other children on 1 November 2025 when Mmako called her over and took her to an outside toilet.
“He then assaulted, sexually violated, and strangled the child before fleeing the scene,” said Mohlatlole.
Renesh’s body was discovered next to the toilet later that evening.
Mohlatlole said the investigation, led by Sergeant Jacob Nditsheni Lambani, produced evidence linking Mmako to the offences.
During arguments in aggravation of sentence, Senior State Advocate Mmabogadi Morule told the court that Renesh was a defenceless and particularly vulnerable victim whose constitutional right to life had been brutally violated.
“The State further submitted that the devastating impact of her death on her family and community could never be fully quantified,” said Mohlatlole.
The court also considered a victim impact statement from Renesh’s father, who described the profound trauma suffered by the family.
According to Mohlatlole, Renesh was her father’s only daughter among his three children.
The family was later forced to relocate because they no longer felt safe living in the area following the incident.
Mohlatlole said the court highlighted the alarming prevalence of gender-based violence and violence against women and children in South Africa when handing down the sentence.
The court stressed the need for severe punishment for offenders who target society’s most vulnerable members.
Mohlatlole said the sentence reflected the seriousness of the offences committed against Renesh and reinforced the justice system’s responsibility to protect children and hold perpetrators of gender-based violence accountable.
“The NPA remains steadfast in its commitment to ensuring that perpetrators of violence against women and children are prosecuted successfully and that the rights, dignity, and interests of victims and their families remain at the centre of the criminal justice process,” said Mohlatlole.
