The North Gauteng High Court has sentenced 30-year-old parolee Prayer Kgatle to life imprisonment plus 49 years for a brutal crime spree that culminated in the rape of an 11-year-old girl. The attack occurred at the Anlin residential complex in Pretoria in 2023....Click to Read More >>➤
Kgatle received a 15-year sentence for housebreaking with intent to rape, 12 years for housebreaking, 12 years for robbery, and 10 years for sexual assault. These terms will run consecutively to his life sentence for the rape conviction.
The court also mandated that his name be entered into the National Register for Sex Offenders. This ruling formally declares him unfit to work with children and permanently bars him from possessing a firearm.
Chilling Details of the Pretoria Apartment Attack
Lumka Mahanjana, regional spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), detailed the horrific sequence. “On 18 October 2023, the parolee, who had similar convictions for similar cases, broke into an apartment complex,” Mahanjana stated.
“He robbed it, then entered another apartment where he sexually assaulted and raped a 12-year-old girl inside. He was chased and apprehended the same day.”
The NPA confirmed that Kgatle was on parole for previous, similar convictions at the time of the attack. During the proceedings, Kgatle pleaded for leniency from the court.
NPA Secures Maximum Sentence for Repeat Offender
Prosecutors, however, argued for the most severe punishment possible. “In court, he asked for leniency, but the NPA argued for a life sentence in respect of the rape charge. And a minimum prescribed sentence in respect of the other charges,” Mahanjana explained.
The court sided with the prosecution, imposing the life term for the rape and minimum sentences for the additional charges. This outcome ensures a lengthy period of incarceration for the repeat offender.
Senior legal officials praised the prosecution team. Mahanjana added that Acting Director of Public Prosecutions in Gauteng, Advocate Marika Jansen Van Vuuren, commended their work. The successful conviction of Prayer Kgatle brings a measure of justice for the young victim and her family.
The case highlights the severe consequences for such violent crimes. The court’s decisive action against Prayer Kgatle demonstrates a firm stance on protecting vulnerable members of society from dangerous predators. ...Click to Read More >>➤
