Limpopo’s Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe, has taken a firm stand against the alarming rise in rape cases involving minors. She promises that law enforcement will step up efforts to ensure that justice is served.

This comes after a 54-year-old man was arrested for allegedly raping his 11-year-old neighbour in the Ritavi policing area under the Mopani District.

Limpopo provincial police spokesperson, Brigadier Hlulani Mashaba, stated that on March 31, the victim and her friend went to the suspect's home to watch movies, a routine they regularly followed.

“The children visited the suspect's homestead to watch movies as they usually do. The children slept over, and in the morning, the suspect allegedly sent the friend to the shops and then raped the victim.”

The 11-year-old quickly notified her mother about the incident, and an assault case was opened at the local police station before being handed over to the Tzaneen Family Violence, Child Protection, and Sexual Offences Unit for further investigation.

Mashaba also confirmed that the suspect was apprehended on Wednesday and is expected to appear in the Nkowankowa Magistrate's Court on Friday to face charges of rape.

In recent days, the province has been shaken by a series of rape incidents, with a particularly disturbing rise in cases involving minors.

The Star previously reported that a 58-year-old primary school teacher was on the run after allegedly raping a 13-year-old girl in the Capricorn South Education District. The incident sparked widespread outrage, and the teacher was eventually apprehended a few days later after evading the law.

The 13-year-old was raped several times during November 2024 to March 2025.

In another disturbing case, a 33-year-old man was sentenced to life in prison by the Ritavi Magistrate’s Court in Polokwane. He was convicted for the horrific rape of a 15-year-old and a 19-year-old in separate incidents, and will now spend the rest of his life behind bars for his actions.

The 33-year-old man was reportedly appearing at the Ritavi Magistrate Court for another rape case involving a 19-year-old female victim when he was arrested. He was positively linked to the crime through forensic DNA analysis, leading to his subsequent conviction.

Hadebe emphasised that the police will not tolerate such heinous crimes against children while urging parents and guardians to be more vigilant when it comes to the safety and well-being of their children. She also stressed that cases of a similar nature will be investigated thoroughly, and perpetrators will be brought to book to face the full might of the law.

The Star

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