The Free State High Court in Bloemfontein has sentenced 30-year-old Jeremia Sekgoko Tsoanyane to multiple life terms for a series of kidnappings and rapes that occurred between 2021 and 2023, with most attacks taking place in the Magengenene (Phahameng) Cemetery.
Tsoanyane, originally from the Peter Swart area in Bloemfontein, was convicted on eight counts spanning four separate cases. The court found that his modus operandi was consistent across the cemetery attacks.
In the first case, a 16-year-old girl testified that on Monday, 23 August 2021, at approximately 07:30, she was walking through Magengenene Cemetery on her way to school. The accused called her by name—which he likely saw on her school bag—before threatening her with a knife, grabbing her, and dragging her to a nearby cluster of trees where he raped her.
The second victim, aged 17, testified that on Wednesday, 12 January 2022, at around 07:30, she was taking the same route through the cemetery. Tsoanyane threatened her with a knife, dragged her out of the cemetery towards some factories, forcibly undressed her, and raped her.
The third victim, a 25-year-old woman, testified that on Saturday, 30 July 2022, she was walking through Magengenene Cemetery to visit her father. She was approached by an unknown African male wearing a mask, who threatened her with a knife and took her to another part of the graveyard where he undressed and raped her. For this attack, Tsoanyane was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment on 29 January 2024.
The court also heard evidence regarding two additional incidents that did not occur in the cemetery but followed a pattern of luring victims.
On Friday, 2 July 2023, at about 06:00, a 28-year-old victim received a call from Tsoanyane, who promised to find her work. He arranged to meet her under the pretense of taking her to a new workplace but instead lured her to an open field, threatened her with a knife, and raped her.
In another incident in March 2023 at around 08:00, Tsoanyane followed a woman and her neighbor who were walking together. He approached them and promised one of them a job before luring her into an open field near the East End industries, where he produced a knife, threatened to kill her, and raped her.
The accused was linked to all cases through a thorough investigation led by Investigating Officer Sergeant Molefi, under the guidance of Public Prosecutor Advocate Choane. Based on the evidence presented before Honourable Judge C. Van Zyl, Tsoanyane opted to admit guilt.
The court sentenced him as follows for the four Mangaung cases (each comprising one count of kidnapping and one count of rape):
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Case 1 (Counts 1 & 2):
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Count 1 (Kidnapping): Five years imprisonment
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Count 2 (Rape): Life imprisonment
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Case 2 (Counts 3 & 4):
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Count 3 (Kidnapping): Five years imprisonment
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Count 4 (Rape): Life imprisonment
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Case 3 (Counts 5 & 6):
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Count 5 (Kidnapping): Five years imprisonment
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Count 6 (Rape): Ten years imprisonment
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Case 4 (Counts 7 & 8):
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Count 7 (Kidnapping): Five years imprisonment
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Count 8 (Rape): Ten years imprisonment
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