A young woman’s night out in Postmasburg ended in horror when a man she trusted assaulted and raped her.
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A NIGHT out turned into a nightmare for a 25-year-old woman who was brutally assaulted and raped after crossing paths with a man she had earlier accompanied to a local tavern. The attacker, 27-year-old Howard Karabelo Morwanyane, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison following his conviction in the Postmasburg Regional Court.
According to Northern Cape police spokesperson Sergeant Molefi Shemane, the incident unfolded in the early hours of June 29, 2024, when the victim left a tavern in Boichoko, Postmasburg, to visit friends at another nearby venue. Morwanyane offered to accompany her, but after failing to find her friends, he left her there.
Later, as the woman was walking home alone, Morwanyane reappeared, blocked her path, and launched a vicious assault. He dragged her toward a nearby dam, where he continued to beat and threaten her before forcibly undressing and raping her.
She reported the attack to the police, and swift action led to Morwanyane’s arrest and prosecution. On March 19, 2025, the court sentenced him to five years for assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH) and 10 years for rape. The sentences will run concurrently.
The court also ruled that Morwanyane is unfit to possess a firearm and added his name to the National Register for Sex Offenders.
The provincial SAPS management commended the work of Detective Constable Keamogetse Tina Besson of the Postmasburg Family Violence, Child Protection, and Sexual Offences Unit, along with Prosecutor Kenneth Motsatsi, for securing the conviction and delivering justice for the victim.
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