 In a landmark ruling, the Polokwane High Court on Friday, 19 September 2025, sentenced 42-year-old Ramoadi William Minyuku to five life sentences plus an additional 165 years imprisonment for a series of horrific crimes in the Zebediela area of the Waterberg District.
The court found Minyuku guilty on 26 separate counts, including rape, kidnapping, and housebreaking with the intent to rape. The effective sentence is life imprisonment.
The proceedings revealed a pattern of brutal attacks spanning several years. The court heard that Minyuku’s crimes began in November 2014 when he broke into a home and raped a 12-year-old girl. He then continued to target the same victim between May and June 2016, threatening her with a knife and raping her on multiple occasions at an abandoned house. The attacks occurred when the child was sent to local shops.
Minyuku’s violence escalated when he assaulted and raped a second victim, a 17-year-old girl, using beer bottles. He accosted the teenager on the street, dragged her into nearby bushes, and raped her multiple times.
Initially, the cases were reported with the suspect listed as unknown. A major break in the investigation came in 2024 when the dockets were transferred to the Provincial Serial and Electronic Crime Investigation Unit (SECI). Through diligent forensic work, Sergeant Mokgaetsi Predict Sema identified Minyuku via DNA evidence and effected his arrest.
In delivering the sentence, the court imposed terms ranging from 5 to 15 years for the various counts, to be served concurrently with the five life sentences. The accused was also declared unfit to ever possess a firearm. Minyuku, who remained in custody throughout the trial, was present for the sentencing.
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