By KEDIBONE MOLAETSI
29 September 2026 – A man (27) was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Molopo Regional Court for raping a girl (14) in Magogoe village, near Mahikeng. The sentence follows an incident on 6 March 2022, when the victim was walking home from a friend’s house at around 6:30pm.
The North West police spokesperson, Captain Majang Skalkie said according to the evidence presented in court, the victim encountered an unknown man who followed her and instructed her not to look back. Skalkie said he allegedly pushed her into nearby bushes, forced her to undress and raped her before instructing her to go home and not tell anyone.
“The victim immediately reported the incident to her mother upon arriving home and the police were contacted. She was subsequently taken to a Thuthuzela Care Centre for medical examination. The suspect was identified as Thabang Setlhabela through DNA evidence during the investigation.
“In 2024, the investigating officer, Sergeant Tshepiso Herbert Makunye of the Mmabatho Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit, received the forensic DNA results which positively linked Setlhabela to the reported rape,” she said.
Skalkie further said Setlhabela was subsequently traced and arrested. She added that the court ordered that his particulars be entered into the Sexual Offences Register and declared him unfit to possess a firearm in terms of the Firearms Control Act, Act 60 of 2000.
Meanwhile, the North West Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Arthur Adams, welcomed the life sentence and said it demonstrated the seriousness with which sexual offences and the protection of vulnerable members of society are treated. Adams commended Makunye for his diligent investigation and for gathering the evidence that resulted in the matter being brought before court.
“The successful conclusion of the case also highlighted the importance of cooperation between law enforcement agencies, prosecutors and the courts in securing justice for victims of sexual offences,” he said.
