By Teboho Moloi
QWAQWA – The Phuthaditjhaba Regional Court on Thursday delivered a stern blow to perpetrators of gender-based violence, sentencing three men to significant prison terms for various rapes and sexual violations committed across QwaQwa between 2020 and 2024.
The convictions followed a collaborative investigation by the Phuthaditjhaba Family, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).
In the sentencing, the court ordered 40-year-old Teboho Mele to serve 20 years in prison, while 40-year-old Puseletso Mofokeng was handed 10 years’ direct imprisonment and 32-year-old Napo Mokoena was jailed for six years.
Police spokesperson Warrant Officer Mmako Mophiring welcomed the sentences, saying; “This serves as a clear signal that crimes against women and children will not go unnoticed.”
Mele was arrested in October 2024 after he abducted a 24-year-old woman who was jogging in Mandela Park. The court heard that Mele forcefully pulled the victim into his vehicle and assaulted her before driving to a nearby business premises where the rape occurred.
“The victim was able to record the vehicle’s registration number, which led to the arrest. Mele is a repeat offender, having previously served 15 years for a similar crime,” Mophiring said.
In a separate case, Puseletso Mofokeng, from Thaba Bosiu, was convicted of raping a 19-year-old woman after he dragged her out of a local tavern when she rejected his romantic advances.
The court also heard the harrowing details of the case against Napo Mokoena, who sexually violated an 11-year-old girl in November 2024.
The child had knocked on Mokoena’s door while searching for her mother, but instead of assisting her, Mokoena lured her inside and molested her.
Mophiring testified that when the girl’s mother arrived at the door, Mokoena forced the child to hide under a bed and later gave her R10 to buy her silence.
