In a landmark ruling, the Mthatha Regional Court in South Africa has condemned a 45-year-old man to life imprisonment for the brutal rape of his wife, an assault that occurred in the presence of their young daughter.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) announced on Friday, October 17, 2025, that the court also imposed additional sentences: three years for assault, five years for breaching a protection order, and four years for forcing a minor to witness a sexual crime. These sentences will be served concurrently with the life term.
Prior to this tragic event, the family-comprising the couple and their three children-resided together in KwaTshemese village near Mthatha. The household had a documented history of domestic abuse, prompting the wife to seek legal protection. On November 23, 2022, the court granted a protection order barring the husband from inflicting harm on his wife or exposing their children to domestic violence.
On the night of January 1, 2023, the intoxicated husband demanded that his wife join him in a separate dwelling within their property. Upon her refusal, he stormed off in anger. Anticipating potential violence, the wife secured the main entrance and retreated with her children to a locked bedroom.
However, the husband returned wielding a garden spade, which he used to forcibly break into the home. He then dragged his wife into the living room, coercing her to undress for sexual intercourse. When she resisted, he violently attacked her with the spade’s sharp end, inflicting severe injuries to her head and body before raping her in front of their daughter.
When the daughter attempted to intervene, she too was assaulted. Following the attack, the perpetrator fled the scene. The victim was hospitalized for a week and received counseling at the Mthatha Thuthuzela Care Centre (TCC).
The husband evaded capture until May 2023, when authorities arrested him at his residence, where he was reportedly attempting to persuade his wife to forgive him.
Throughout the trial, the accused denied all allegations without offering any credible defense. State Advocate Luvuyo Komanisi presented compelling testimony from both the mother and daughter, alongside medical evidence detailing the extent of the injuries sustained.
During sentencing, the court reviewed a victim impact statement prepared by court preparation officer Ziyanda Fambaza. The judge ruled that no mitigating factors justified leniency, describing the husband and father as “unrepentant and lacking remorse.”
Eastern Cape Director of Public Prosecutions Barry Madolo praised the coordinated efforts of the police, TCC, CPO, and prosecution team in securing justice for victims of severe gender-based and domestic violence.
The NPA reaffirmed its dedication to removing violent offenders from communities, emphasizing that cases like this highlight the urgent need to protect vulnerable individuals from such heinous crimes.
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