He appeared before the Schweizer-Reneke Regional Court, on Wednesday 22 February 2023, following his arrest in December 2017. His name is known to OFM News but is withheld to protect the identity of his minor victim.

The Regional Spokesperson of the National Prosecuting Authority, Henry Mamothame, said the man took the victim and her three-year-old sibling to a kraal outside their Ipelegeng township, without their mother’s permission.

“Upon arrival, the younger sibling was asleep and Motshwane took his jersey off and let her sleep on it. He subsequently ordered the 12-year-old to undress.” Mamothame said. “She refused and attempted to escape. Motshwane caught up with her and moved her to a different location within the kraal and raped her.”

According to Mamothame, the three-year-old witnessed her older sister getting raped as she was awake during the time of the incident.

After the stepfather let them go, the younger sibling reported the incident to their grandmother while the older sibling was still crying hysterically. Mamothame reported the mother was out looking for the children and upon her return, the grandmother told her of the incident that unfolded in her absence.

“She confronted the stepfather, who denied ever raping the child. When he was asked to accompany them to the hospital for the child to receive a medical checkup, he immediately fled. The matter was reported to the police and he was arrested two weeks later. The court denied him bail.

The state prosecutor, Mpho Sephapo, urged the court to not deviate from the minimum prescribed sentence of life imprisonment. In passing the sentence, Magistrate Patricia Rangwako agreed with the state and condemned the man for committing such an offence in front of a three-year-old.

The accused received a further five-year sentence for kidnapping. The court declared him unfit to possess a firearm and his name will be added to the register of sexual offenders.

OFM News/Bambatha Giko