Mapaballo Borotho
- The Pretoria Magistrates’ Court has sentenced Thabo Xolani Masoka to life imprisonment for raping an 11-year-old girl with special needs.
- Masoka denied the charges, claiming the child was his girlfriend, but medical and psychiatric evidence proved she could not consent.
- Civil society group #NotInMyName condemned the case, calling it a stark reminder of South Africa’s ongoing gender-based violence crisis.
The Pretoria Magistrates’ Court has sentenced Thabo Xolani Masoka to life imprisonment for raping an 11-year-old girl with special needs.
The tragic incident occurred in September 2022, in their residential area, as the perpetrator and the victim resided in the same block of flats.
The National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana explains how the incident unfolded:
“The incident occurred on 18 September 2022. The victim was with her mother at the mother’s salon on the premises when, at approximately 7:45 PM, the mother began locking up. The victim started walking home, but minutes later, the mother arrived at their flat and realised the child was missing.
“With assistance from other residents, she searched for her daughter. A witness reported seeing the victim walking with Masoka to his flat. The mother and residents confronted Masoka at his flat, where they found the child sitting. When questioned, he said he did not know why she was there. The residents called the police, and Masoka was arrested on the scene that day. The state successfully opposed his bail, and he has remained in custody since,” Mahanjana said.
Masoka pleaded not guilty in court and denied the rape allegations, claiming the minor was his girlfriend and they had consensual sex.
The 32-year-old told the court that he thought the victim was 17 years old; however, Prosecutor Andries Ntjana presented evidence from a medical doctor and psychiatrist, which proved that the child could not consent.
During sentencing, Masoka requested leniency, citing his three children and wife, whom he supports.
The assigned Magistrate Lynn Pillay found no substantial or compelling circumstances to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence, deeming life imprisonment appropriate.
This marks the second life sentence for rape handed down by the Pretoria Magistrates’ Court in a single week.
The case is also another added number to the scourge of child and women abuse in South Africa.
Meanwhile, the #NotInMyName movement has described both these incidents as outrageous and heartbreaking.
The civil society group’s Siyabulela Jentile says the two rape cases have once again laid bare the brutal reality of gender-based violence in our country.
“As Not In My Name International, we condemn these crimes in the strongest terms and call for swift, decisive justice. These perpetrators must face the full might of the law, and the victims must be given the dignity, support, and healing they deserve.
“Let it be clear that no one, and we mean no one, should suffer in silence or be made to fight for justice alone. These crimes must shake the nation’s conscience, and they must drive real, lasting action,” Jentile said.
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