Mamelodi scholar transport driver jailed for life for raping nine-year-old

A 41-year-old scholar transport driver from Mamelodi has been sentenced to life imprisonment after a Pretoria Regional Court found him guilty of raping a nine-year-old girl he lured to his home in June 2021.

How the child was lured

National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said the court heard that the offender, identified as Given Mpho Mphahlele, had been employed as a scholar transport driver for two months when the incident occurred.

According to Mahanjana, the victim’s seven-year-old brother was being dropped off at home by Mphahlele after school. “During the trip, Mphahlele instructed the boy to tell his nine-year-old sister that they should visit him at his residence. He also told the child to inform their mother, who was at home, that they were going outside to play.”

The children followed Mphahlele’s directions and, when they arrived at his house, he gave the seven-year-old money to buy tea bags from a nearby shop. When the boy left, Mahanjana said, Mphahlele “locked the door, undressed himself and the child, and raped her.”

Immediate aftermath and reporting

Mahanjana said the assault stopped when the victim’s brother returned and knocked on the door. Mphahlele then dressed both himself and the child and threatened the boy’s mother with death if the incident was disclosed. “Before they left, he gave the children R4 to buy chicken heads,” she said.

The victim disclosed the rape a month later when she became distressed while being sent to Mphahlele’s next-door neighbour. The matter was reported to the police and the child was referred to the Mamelodi Thuthuzela Care Centre (TCC), where she received medical care, psychological support and legal assistance.

Investigation, trial and sentence

Mahanjana said Mphahlele was arrested on 19 August 2021. During the trial he pleaded not guilty and denied committing the offence, but the prosecutor presented evidence that led to his conviction.

During sentencing proceedings Mphahlele asked the court to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence, arguing that he had three children who depended on him financially. The State opposed the request and highlighted that the accused had “occupied a position of trust as a scholar transport driver entrusted with the safety and well-being of children. Instead, he abused that trust and violated the innocence and dignity of a vulnerable child.”

The court agreed with the State that the accused had shown no remorse and had exploited the vulnerability of an unsuspecting child, finding “no substantial and compelling circumstances justifying a deviation from the prescribed minimum sentence” and imposing life imprisonment.

Prosecution stance and support services

Mahanjana said the NPA “remains committed to prosecuting sexual offences, particularly those committed against children.” She added that the NPA encourages victims of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) to use Thuthuzela Care Centres, which offer integrated support, including medical treatment, counselling and legal assistance.