By REGINALD KANYANE
1 December 2024- A man (20) from Maruping village, near Kuruman was sentenced to 20 years by the Kuruman Regional Court for rape. This comes after Kamogelo Kopang rape a woman (22).
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson in Northern Cape, Mojalefa Senokoatsane, on 10 April 2022, the victim was on her way to work when the accused stopped and requested R2 from her, which she told him she did not have. Senokoatsane said the victim offered the accused R10 as he had begun to search her.
“It was at this point that, Kopang informed the victim that he was no longer interested in her money, but she should assist him with something else. He then began to push the victim into an abandoned house, where he had non-consensual sexual intercourse with her more than once.
“After her ordeal, the victim went to the police station after reporting the incident at home. The accused was traced and arrested by the police and charged with rape,” he said.
Senokoatsane further said during the trial, the prosecutor, Kekeletso Lekota, argued that the court should sentence the accused to the maximum sentence applicable for such an offence as Kopang had shown no remorse for his action. He added that the court also heard how the rape had affected the victim and how she no longer trust people as a result of what had happened to her.
“The court found the accused guilty and sentenced him to 20 years imprisonment. The court also declared the accused unfit to possess a firearm and his name will be entered in the National Register for Sex Offenders.
“The NPA believes that women should be allowed to enjoy their constitutional freedoms and perpetrators will be brought to book when they infringe on the rights of vulnerable persons in society,” said Senokoatsane.
The Guardian 