Life sentence for man who lured and assaulted 11-year-old girl
A 38-year-old man, Lefu James Mofokeng, has been handed a life sentence for the brutal rape and assault with grievous bodily harm (GBH) of an 11-year-old minor in the Free State.
Police have welcomed the successful prosecution, which will also see Mofokeng’s name recorded in the National Register for Sex Offenders as the country observes 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence.
Detailing the traumatic incident, police said on Tuesday, April 8, 2024, at approximately 11am, the victim had escaped from an orphanage home and was walking in the street in Willows when she was offered a lift by the driver of a red Golf, who promised to take her to her parents’ house in Estoire.
However, instead of taking the victim to her parents, the accused took her to his residence in Wilgehof.
Police said once inside, Mofokeng gave the victim alcohol, pointed a firearm at her, and subjected her to a brutal assault.
“The accused strangled her and hit her in the face with the firearm before raping her.”
After he was done with the assault, Mofokeng dropped the victim off outside her parents’ house, and gave her money.
The distraught victim immediately reported the traumatic ordeal to her parents, who in turn promptly contacted the police. The case was registered without delay at the Parkweg police station.
Police stated that the case was swiftly transferred to the Parkweg Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit, where the investigation was handled by Detective Warrant Officer Arlene Snyman.
Snyman successfully traced and arrested the suspect. His licensed firearm was also seized during the arrest.
“The tireless efforts of the investigating officer, working in collaboration with Mrs Valerie Herholdt from the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), ensured that the accused, Lefu James Mofokeng, was found guilty of the heinous crimes.”
During the recent release of South Africa’s first and second-quarter crime statistics for 2025/26, Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia said the results of implementing policy initiatives to address GBV over the last 30 years have been disappointing.
Cachalia stated that while this is a deeply rooted societal problem that policing alone cannot solve, crimes such as rape and domestic violence must still be effectively investigated and prosecuted.
“Now one of the first things I did after my appointment is to request the Deputy Minister, Dr Polly Boshielo, to lead our efforts to understand where the implementation failures are,” he said.
The minister said he has requested Boshielo to lead a team within the SAPS to assess where the gaps are and where there is room for improvement.
“I can indicate that an additional amount of R40 million was allocated to strengthen efforts in victim empowerment,” said Cachalia.
karen.singh@inl.co.za
