GQEBERHA – Serial rapist Lonwabo Ndwe (33) was handed life imprisonment by the Gqeberha High Court on Thursday, 26 February 2026, on five counts including rape, kidnapping and robbery with aggravating circumstances, which were committed in Kariega.
According to SAPS spokesperson Captain Sandra Janse Van Rensburg, in December 2023, a female security officer on duty at the Kariega railway station was attacked when a group of men attempted to rob security guards.
“During the incident, one unknown suspect remained behind and raped the officer,” she said. “The matter was reported to Kariega SAPS, and during the investigation, the Provincial Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit, the Serial Electronic Crime Investigation (SECI), identified Ndwe through DNA evidence.”
Janse Van Rensburg added that Ndwe was additionally linked through DNA to a Butterworth rape case, for which he was sentenced on 23 September 2025 in the Butterworth Regional Court to 22 years’ imprisonment for rape, five years for kidnapping, and additional sentences for robbery with aggravating circumstances, “all running concurrently.”
On Thursday, 26 February 2026, the Gqeberha High Court sentenced Ndwe as follows:
- Count 1 – Rape – 25 years’ imprisonment
- Count 2 – Robbery with aggravating circumstances – 7 years’ imprisonment
- Count 3 – Kidnapping – 5 years’ imprisonment
- Count 4 – Robbery with aggravating circumstances – 7 years’ imprisonment
- Count 5 – Kidnapping – 5 years’ imprisonment
Janse Van Rensburg added that the accused will be listed on the National Sexual Offenders Register. “He was also declared unfit to possess a firearm.”
Major General Vuyisile Ncata commended the dedicated young investigating officer, Detective Constable Vuyolwethu Mpendu, under the command of Brigadier Cebo Khonza for the successful conviction and sentencing in both the Butterworth and Kariega cases.
“This sentencing is a strong reminder that perpetrators of sexual violence will face the full might of the law. I commend our investigative teams for their diligence and commitment to justice,” said Ncata. “SAPS remains unwavering in its fight against gender-based violence, and we will continue to protect our communities and ensure that survivors see justice served.”
