By KEDIBONE MOLAETSI
17 November 2025 – A man was sentenced to two life terms and additional 48 years imprisonment by Klerksdorp Sexual Offences Regional Court. The accused, Elias Thejane (39) raped three women in Kanana Township, near Orkney between December 2012 and October 2014.
The North West police spokesperson, Colonel Adele Myburgh said Thejane was also declared unfit to possess a firearm in terms of section 103 of the Firearms Control Act, 2000. Myburgh said in the first incident, the accused met the then 19-year-old woman in the street on Wednesday morning, 26 December 2012, and threatened her with a knife.
“The accused robbed the woman of her cell phone before raping her. The accused fled from the scene after the incident. In the second incident on Monday evening, 1 September 2014, two women, then aged 15 and 19, were on their way to X-Section when confronted by four unknown men armed with pangas near the taxi rank.
“The accused caught the victims and dragged them to a house, where two of the men including Thejane, raped them. The suspects later attempted to convince the women to accompany them to the nearby tavern, but failed,” she said.
Myburgh further said the women stayed in the house and managed to escape in the early hours of Tuesday morning, 2 September 2014. She added that in the third incident at around 4am on Sunday, 19 October 2014, Thejane forcefully entered a house and found three women inside. She added that he forced one of the women to tie an elderly woman with shoelaces.
“He went on to rob the second woman of her money and cell phone and raped the third one. Thejane left the place after taking some groceries. Following a lengthy and extensive investigation by the Provincial Serial and Electronic Crime Investigation (SECI) unit, the convict was arrested on 9 October 2015.
“Despite being released on bail, he was rearrested and sentenced on a separate case of burglary and two counts of rape. The crimes were committed in Bothaville in the Free State. The accused was sentenced to eight years imprisonment for robbery with aggravating circumstances, ten years imprisonment for rape, life imprisonment for rape and another life imprisonment for rape,” said Myburgh.
She said Thejane was also sentenced to five years imprisonment for housebreaking, six years imprisonment for sexual assault, three years imprisonment for robbery, three years imprisonment for robbery and ten years imprisonment for rape.
Meanwhile, the acting North West Police Commissioner, Major General (Dr) Ryno Naidoo, commended the Investigating Officer, Sergeant Omphemetse Babuile of Provincial SECI and the Prosecutor, advocate Wilma Cordier and all other role players for their collaborative efforts that led to securing of the sentence, which was imposed on the accused a few days before the commencement of 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children, will definitely send a clear message that there will be no tolerance against sexual offenders.
The Guardian 