The SAPS in the Northern Cape has welcomed the recent life sentence handed down to a 39-year-old man for rape by the Mothibistad Regional Court, marking another step forward in the fight against GBVF.
THE SOUTH African Police Service (SAPS) in the Northern Cape has welcomed the life sentence handed down to Onkgopotse Ngakanyane, 39, by the Mothibistad Regional Court. Ngakanyane was convicted of rape and received his sentence on September 27.
According to provincial police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Sergio Kock, the incident occurred on March 4 last year, at approximately 10.10pm. The 25-year-old female victim was returning home from a nearby tavern in Vergenoeg, Kuruman, when she was accosted by Ngakanyane, a known individual. He forcibly took her to his house, where he threatened to kill her and raped her multiple times. The victim managed to escape early the next morning and immediately reported the crime to the police.
Ngakanyane was arrested on March 7, 2023, and the police successfully opposed his bail. On September 27, 2024, he was sentenced to life imprisonment for rape. He has also been declared unfit to possess a firearm.
The provincial commissioner of the SAPS in the Northern Cape SAPS, Lieutenant-General Koliswa Otola, commended Detective Constable Khumoetsile Kgatlhane from the Kuruman Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences unit for overseeing a meticulous investigation. Otola praised Kgatlhane’s relentless efforts in addressing sexual offences, which she believes will help restore the community’s faith in the SAPS.
