By KEDIBONE MOLAETSI
16 July 2025- A man (23) was sentenced to 18 years imprisonment by the Kathu Regional Court for rape. The accused, Ikgopoleng Seane was also declared unfit to possess a firearm.
The Northern Cape police spokesperson, Sergeant Molefi Shemane said the incident occurred in the early hours of 8 October 2023 at approximately 3am when a victim (43), was at her residence in Lohatlha village, Siyathemba, with a colleague. Shemane said Seane entered the house, assaulted the victim’s colleague—who managed to escape—and then turned on the victim.
“He physically assaulted her, forcibly undressed her, and raped her. The victim’s screams alerted nearby residents, who responded and came to her aid. A case of rape was opened and the accused was successfully traced and arrested by the police,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Northern Cape Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Koliswa Otola, welcomed the conviction and sentence, commending Warrant Officer Boikanyo Pilane of the Kathu Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit for his meticulous investigative work. Otola also acknowledged the valuable guidance provided by prosecutor Bernice Oor, which contributed to the successful prosecution and incarceration of the accused.
The Guardian 