A barber convicted of raping four minor boys was sentenced to four concurrent life terms, while three individuals received 15-year prison terms for stealing copper cables worth millions, South African police announced.
“The Free State police welcomes the sentence handed down by the Wesselsbron Regional Court on Wednesday, 30 October 2025, in the case of a barber who preyed on little boys,” said Sergeant Mahlomola Kareli, a police spokesman in Free State.
The suspect was found guilty on four counts of rape involving boys aged 12, 13, 15, and 15. “He has been sentenced to life imprisonment on each count by the Wesselsbron Regional Court,” Kareli stated. The sentences are to run concurrently, and the man’s name will be entered into the National Register for Sex Offenders.
The incidents occurred in May 2024 at the accused’s rented shack in Malebogo township, which served as both his residence and hair salon. The first and second victims were lured there after school under the pretense of a haircut and sexually assaulted in the back room. The third victim was brought by the first two and also assaulted. The fourth, a 12-year-old nephew of the accused, was visiting and raped in the shack.
None of the victims initially reported the assaults, which came to light after one confided in his teacher. Four rape cases were opened, investigated by Warrant Officer Ntomzoto Selemogo of the Bultfontein Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offenses Unit, under guidance from National Prosecuting Authority prosecutor Mr. Masisi.
“This successful conviction sends a clear message that crimes against children will be pursued with the utmost seriousness, and perpetrators will face the full might of the law,” Kareli said.
In a separate case, “Bethulie police welcomes the sentencing of three individuals to 15 years’ imprisonment for the theft of essential infrastructure,” Kareli added. The sentence followed a two-year legal process after their arrest in March 2023.
On March 23, 2023, police acting on an intelligence tip-off intercepted a Ford Ranger on the R715 road near Bethulie. The suspects—Mamokete Sarah Sechaba, 36; Thibela Letlalo, 41; and Mohlomi Koos Monyane, 34—were arrested with stolen copper cables. The power substation was found totally vandalized, causing an estimated R25 million in damage to Transnet.
The investigation was conducted by Warrant Officer Molotsi in consultation with National Prosecuting Authority advocate Leon Ehlers. The three were convicted of theft from essential infrastructure.
In another incident, the Provincial Anti-Gang Unit in Bloemfontein arrested a 26-year-old foreign national on November 4, 2025, for pointing a firearm on a farm near Ficksburg.
At approximately 1 p.m. unit members responded to a complaint from the Ficksburg Community Service Centre. They approached a house on the farm, confronted the suspect, and recovered a black imitation 9mm firearm concealed in the ceiling of a separate house, wrapped in a blue machine cover overall.
The suspect was arrested for pointing of a firearm and linked to a case of assault with intent to commit grievous bodily harm in the Senekal area. He is set to appear in the Ficksburg Magistrate’s Court.