A 32-year-old Vryheid man has been sentenced to an effective 45 years’ direct imprisonment after being convicted of sexually grooming, sexually assaulting and raping two young relatives, aged 10 and 12.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said the offences were committed in the Dudusini Scheepersnek area of Vryheid between September and October 2024.
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The two victims, who are cousins, were initially approached by the accused, their neighbour, in September 2024. He lured them behind his residence, forced them to view explicit pornographic material and instructed them to imitate what they had seen.
He then sexually assaulted and raped the 10-year-old before raping the 12-year-old. A further sexual assault was committed against the second child in October 2024.
The crimes came to light in December 2024 when a community elder overheard the children recounting their ordeal to a third child.
South African Police Service (SAPS) spokesperson Sergeant Thenjiswa Ngcobo said the adult questioned the children, who explained that the suspect, identified as Asanda Ngobese, had called them behind his property and assaulted them.
“He performed this heinous act, unbeknownst to him that a third child was watching everything from the corner of the house,” said Sergeant Ngcobo.
The adult accompanied the children to the local police station, where a rape case was opened. Investigators subsequently traced and arrested Ngobese. His application for bail was successfully opposed following his initial court appearance.
The matter proceeded to trial in the Vryheid Regional Court, where Ngobese denied the charges against him.
“It took expertly gathered evidence, produced through brilliant detective work, as well as testimony by the victims, which swayed the court to deliver a guilty verdict,” said Sergeant Ngcobo.
Ramkisson-Kara said Prosecutor Kwazikwakhe Sibiya presented the evidence of both complainants, together with testimony from the first report witness.
The State also submitted Victim Impact Statements prepared by the first complainant and her mother with the assistance of Court Preparation Officer Bheki Hopewell Sithole.
“In her statement, the complainant said that she regarded the accused as an uncle and trusted him. She stated that she never expected him to hurt her. The complainant’s mother said that she had treated the accused like a brother and had expected him to support and protect the children,” said Ramkisson-Kara.
The court sentenced Ngobese to five years’ imprisonment on each of the two counts of sexual grooming of a child and five years on each of the two sexual assault convictions.
He was also sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment on each of the two rape convictions.
“In respect of the rape convictions, the court deviated from the prescribed minimum sentence of life imprisonment. In doing so, it found that the accused was relatively young, supported his family, and was a suitable candidate for rehabilitation. The court ordered some of the sentences to run concurrently, resulting in an effective sentence of 45 years’ imprisonment,” Ramkisson-Kara explained.
The court further ordered that Ngobese’s name be entered into the National Register for Sex Offenders.
Both SAPS and the NPA welcomed the conviction and sentence.
The judgment comes amid a dispute over the availability of forensic evidence collection kits used in sexual offence investigations across South Africa.
In June 2026, the Democratic Alliance called on Acting Minister of Police Firoz Cachalia to intervene in what it described as logistical and supply-chain failures affecting the availability of rape evidence collection kits at police stations and specialised units.
Lisa Schickerling MP, then DA Spokesperson on Police, said parliamentary oversight visits had shown that the kits were not consistently available at the facilities where survivors report sexual offences and investigators collect evidence.
“A rape kit is not an optional item. It is the most basic forensic tool used to collect DNA and other critical evidence after a sexual offence has been committed. Without immediate access to these kits, evidence collection can be delayed, compromised or lost entirely,” she said.
Schickerling said SAPS uses two different forensic evidence collection kits: a D1 kit for adult survivors and a D7 kit designed for child survivors.
“Alarmingly, officials confirmed that child rape kits are currently unavailable in many areas. This is unacceptable,” she said.
According to Schickerling, delays in collecting forensic evidence can weaken investigations and prosecutions, reducing the prospects of securing justice for survivors.
She further claimed that the problem could extend beyond procurement. Information obtained during oversight visits suggested that kits reaching provincial stores or other SAPS distribution points were not always reaching police stations, Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences units, or medical facilities.
“If this is indeed the case, then SAPS is dealing with a serious breakdown in distribution, stock management, accountability and operational control,” said Schickerling, adding that a rape kit stored in a warehouse provided no assistance to a survivor waiting at a police station.
On 26 July 2026, Nicholas Gotsell MP, the DA’s NCOP Member on Security and Justice, announced that the party had formally placed the Acting Minister of Police on notice through its lawyers.
The legal action sought a response to reported supply problems involving D1 and D7 kits in the Western Cape, where the DA claimed SAPS would not have enough kits to administer essential forensic testing beyond 1 August 2026.
Cachalia has denied that South Africa is experiencing a national shortage of either adult or child rape evidence collection kits.
“Rape evidence collection kits are available throughout the country, and additional kits are currently being distributed as part of ongoing procurement and replenishment processes. These deliveries are proceeding as planned to ensure that facilities remain adequately stocked and that services to victims are not interrupted,” he said.
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The Vryheid case demonstrates the importance of children’s disclosures being taken seriously and reported without delay. In this matter, the intervention of a community elder, evidence gathered by investigators and testimony presented during the trial ultimately led to Ngobese’s conviction and effective 45-year prison sentence.
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