By Teboho Moloi
QWAQWA – In a ruling welcomed by police, prosecutors and families of survivors, the Phuthaditjhaba Magistrate’s Court has imposed a combined 24 years of direct imprisonment on two men convicted of separate rape cases. The sentences were delivered on Friday, September 5.
Pule Moses Moholi, 31, was sentenced to 16 years behind bars for raping a 17-year old girl in the Industrial Area 1, Phuthaditjhaba. On the same day, Teboho Makhamba Moloi, 34, received eight years’ direct imprisonment for raping a 37-year old woman.
The court heard that Moholi attacked the teenage victim around 11:30 a.m. while she was walking from Lusaka section of Makwane Village to Masimong Village to fetch school shoes. Moholi, who was driving with a passenger, insisted on offering her a lift despite her refusal. After dropping off his passenger, he diverted to a secluded spot in Industrial Area 1 and raped her.
According to Free State police spokesperson Warrant Officer Mmako Mophiring, the teenager later managed to escape near a grocery warehouse and ran to the local police station to report the crime. Moholi was swiftly traced and arrested.
“Crimes against women and children remain among the most serious offences. We continue to urge communities to report all forms of gender-based violence. The message is clear: crime does not pay, and perpetrators will face harsh sentences,” Mophiring warned.
In a separate case, the court found Moloi guilty of attacking a woman on her way home from De Bult night club. He accosted her, slapped and strangled her, then dragged her into an unfinished house near a graveyard where he raped her.
The victim managed to fight back and escape to nearby houses, where a resident came to her aid and alerted police. Moloi was arrested shortly thereafter.
Law enforcement officials have commended the bravery of both victims for reporting the crimes and have urged communities to stand firm against gender-based violence by breaking the silence and protecting the vulnerable.
