GAUTENG – A Pretoria court has handed a repeat rapist 25 years’ imprisonment for raping a 25-year-old woman at gunpoint in Soshanguve, Pretoria.

Tshepo Kekana (43) was convicted on Tuesday 29 September in the Pretoria North Magistrates’ Court after entering a guilty plea. The significance of his case has had ripple effects across the country, coming in the aftermath of the finding of 12 women’s bodies in the Kempton Park area, which has shocked women and anti-gender-based violence activists nationwide.

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The attack took place on the evening of 9 December 2018, as the victim made her way home from a friend’s place in Soshanguve. She encountered Kekana, who was out on parole at the time, having previously been sentenced to 18 years’ imprisonment for rape.

He stopped her, pointed a firearm at her and demanded her cellphone and money. Finding she had neither, he forced her into a nearby open veld and raped her before fleeing.

She immediately reported the attack to police.

Investigations led to Kekana being tracked down on 26 March this year, while he was already in custody for murder.

At his sentencing Kekana requested the court go below the prescribed minimum, citing his guilty plea as evidence of remorse and arguing it had saved the court’s time.

State prosecutor Setuma Mashabathagka pushed back, telling the court the guilty plea had nothing to do with remorse and everything to do with the weight of evidence against him. He pointed out that this was Kekana’s third rape conviction.

Kekana was also serving a life sentence for murder. Mashabathagka told the court his pattern of violent behaviour had marked him as a habitual sexual offender and a continued danger to the public, adding that the victim would live with the consequences of his actions for the rest of her life.

The magistrate agreed with the state, ruling that rape is a serious and widespread crime in South Africa and Kekana had demonstrated no genuine remorse. The court added that offences of this kind eroded the safety and freedom of women.

Kekana’s criminal record also weighed heavily against him, with the magistrate noting his string of prior convictions, which showed a persistent disregard for the law.

Finding no substantial and compelling circumstances to justify a lighter sentence, the court handed Kekana 25 years’ direct imprisonment, five years above the prescribed minimum of 20 years.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said it remained committed to holding perpetrators of sexual violence accountable and ensuring victims are supported throughout the justice process. The NPA added that the outcome reflects how seriously the courts treat rape and violence against women.

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