The Pretoria high court, sitting in Palm Ridge, has sentenced serial rapist Daniel Molefe, 33, from Evaton to four life terms and an additional 25 years’ imprisonment for a string of violent attacks on women committed between 2019 and 2023. National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana welcomed the sentence, describing it as a strong message to perpetrators of gender-based violence. Molefe’s convictions are for four counts of rape, which attracted the life sentences, robbery with aggravating circumstances, assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and kidnapping.
In the first incident in 2019, a 30-year-old woman was dragged from a bakkie and attacked in nearby bushes after leaving a tavern with friends. In 2022, a 34-year-old woman was confronted at her home, threatened with a gun and knife and dragged to an outside toilet. A 20-year-old survivor was ambushed with her aunt while walking to a petrol station that same year, while a 32-year-old woman was attacked outside her home in February 2023 and forcibly taken to a nearby church.
All four women reported the attacks immediately and received medical, psychological and legal support Molefe denied all the allegations, but prosecutor Mokautu Masilo led what the court described as compelling evidence. All four survivors provided detailed testimony and victim impact statements, describing ongoing trauma, fear and difficulty relating to men. During sentencing, Molefe’s legal representative asked the court to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence of life imprisonment for rape, arguing that he was a first-time offender, had been employed and had already spent 13 months in custody.
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Masilo opposed the request, emphasising the severity of the crimes, their prevalence and Molefe’s lack of remorse. The judge agreed with the state, saying the crimes were brutal and required a firm response. “Men should know that when a woman says no to sexual intercourse, it means no, and it is not an invitation for them to force themselves on her,” the court said, adding that no substantial or compelling circumstances existed to justify a lighter sentence.
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