A 34-year-old man has been sentenced to an effective 20 years and 12 months imprisonment after being found guilty of raping and assaulting his ex-girlfriend, then locking her in a room for three days, the KuGompo Regional Court ruled on Tuesday, 19 May 2026.
The accused received ten years for each of two rape counts and twelve months for assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH). He was declared unfit to possess a firearm, and his name will be added to the National Register for Sex Offenders.
Buffalo City District Commissioner, Major General Christopher Wright, welcomed the conviction and sentencing.
The court heard that on Thursday, 6 October 2022 at about 14:30, the victim was shopping when her ex-boyfriend asked her to have lunch. She agreed and entered his vehicle. Instead, the accused drove to the Nahoon bushes, dragged her out of the car, assaulted her, forcibly removed her clothes, and raped her anally and vaginally. He also struck her with a sjambok.
The accused then went to a pharmacy to buy medication for her injuries, returned to the Nahoon bushes, and resumed the assault.
The following day, he drove the victim to Parkside and locked her inside a room for three days, continuously injecting her for pain. She eventually obtained her phone, called a friend, and was rescued. She then opened a case at Cambridge Police Station.
Constable Duma Bam of the Mdantsane Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit investigated the case.
The suspect was arrested at his home on 13 October 2022 and appeared in court on 14 October 2022, where he was granted bail. On 10 May 2026, he was found guilty on two counts of rape and one count of assault GBH.
