Life for the Motherwell rapist who held a woman captive through the night

A 30-year-old man has been sentenced to life imprisonment in the Motherwell Regional Court for the rape, kidnapping, robbery and assault of a young woman in Motherwell, the South African Police Service said in a statement.

Olwethu Kommani was sentenced on Monday, 2 November 2026. He was found guilty on three counts of rape, one count of common robbery, two counts of assault common and one count of kidnapping.

According to the police account, the attack happened in the early hours of 20 June 2021, when two women were walking in NU13, Motherwell. They were approached by an unknown male who assaulted them and robbed them of a jacket and a wig.

The man then kidnapped one of the victims and forced her to accompany him. Police say he took her to a field in NU11 where he raped her, then moved her to another field in NU13 where he raped her a second time. He then transported her from NU13 to NU48 and, by taxi, to his residence in Veeplaas, where he held her captive overnight and raped her for a third time.

The victim escaped the following morning and immediately reported the incident to police.

The case was assigned to Detective Sergeant Nomakhaya Mtongana of the Motherwell Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit. The police statement credits her investigation, the professional handling of the victim, the gathering of forensic evidence and the linking of the suspect to the crimes with securing the conviction.

In sentencing, the court imposed life imprisonment on the three rape counts, taken together for sentencing. It imposed three years for robbery, twelve months on each of the two assault counts, and four years for kidnapping. The sentences for robbery, assault and kidnapping were ordered to run concurrently with the life sentence.

The Acting District Commissioner for Nelson Mandela Bay District, Brig Loyiso Ngalo, commended the investigating officer and all role players in the investigation and prosecution.

“This sentence sends a strong message that crimes of gender-based violence will not be tolerated, and that perpetrators who prey on vulnerable victims will be brought to justice,” Ngalo said. “We commend the victim for her courage and resilience throughout the judicial process and acknowledge the outstanding work of the investigating officer in ensuring that justice prevailed.”

The statement was issued by the Office of the Provincial Commissioner for the Eastern Cape. Enquiries were directed to Captain Sandra Janse Van Rensburg. The full statement is published at https://www.saps.gov.za/newsroom/msspeechdetail.php?nid=72225.