A 34-year-old man has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the rape of a 23-year-old woman living with a disability in Ngqayi, Eastern Cape.
Lindile Sijobo Mgoboza was sentenced on 29 October 2026, following an incident that occurred on 26 December 2021 at Mahlathini Location, under the Upper Nxaxa Administrative Area.
According to police, the woman was on her way to fetch water at approximately 14:10 when she encountered Mgoboza along the road. He dragged her to his home, where he raped her.
The incident was reported to police, who subsequently launched an investigation.
Investigators faced difficulties obtaining a statement from the victim because she was unable to speak and had never attended school to learn sign language.
However, with assistance from her family and a psychologist, the investigating detective was able to obtain a statement, which led to Mgoboza’s arrest on 5 January 2022.
He made his first appearance at the Tlokoeng Magistrate’s Court on 7 January 2022 and was granted bail while DNA results were outstanding.
The case was postponed several times before being struck off the court roll pending the DNA results.
After forensic evidence linked Mgoboza to the crime, the case was reinstated earlier this year.
He appeared again before the magistrate’s court on 4 March 2026 and was remanded in custody while his trial continued.
On 29 October 2026, nearly five years after the incident, Mgoboza was sentenced to life imprisonment for rape.
The conviction followed a lengthy investigation and court process in which forensic evidence played a crucial role in securing the sentence.
