Kwanoxolo man sentenced to life for rape of mentally challenged teen

A 40-year-old man has been sentenced to life behind bars for raping a mentally challenged 13-year-old girl and an additional eight years for the attempted rape of a 14-year-old.

Sakiwo Mxotwa was convicted on the two separate charges in December and was sentenced on Thursday in the Gqeberha regional court.

Police spokesperson Captain Sandra Janse Van Rensburg said Mxotwa was first arrested on July 16, 2013, for the rape of the 13 year old .

"He had raped the teen two days earlier after he lured her to his house in Kwanoxolo while she was playing with friends in a nearby street."

The girl told her friends who in turn alerted her parents.

Janse Van Rensburg said in 2015 Mxotwa was released from custody pending a psychology report.

"When the report was ready in 2016 Mxotwa could not be traced," Janse Van Rensburg said.

In the second incident on December 3, 2017, a 14-year-old girl was asleep on a coach at a neighbour’s house when she awoke with a man on top of her, busy undressing her.

"The teenager managed to push the suspect off of her and ran away."

A case of attempted rape was opened at Bethelsdorp SAPS and the suspect was arrested the same day.

“After this arrest, the accused was able to once again appear in court on the 2013 rape case,” Janse Van Rensburg said

He was later released on bail for the duration of both cases.

On Thursday the court ordered that the eight year sentence run concurrent to the life sentence.

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