A 43-year-old truck driver has been sentenced to an effective 20 years’ imprisonment after the Makhanda High Court found him guilty of kidnapping and repeatedly raping a 16-year-old girl he picked up as a hitchhiker on the N9 near Willowmore.
Thosoo Melton Motaung was sentenced on 7 August 2026, according to the South African Police Service (SAPS). The case was heard over the week of 8 to 11 June 2026, during which the victim testified, before the matter was postponed to 15 June for legal argument. The court then reserved judgment ahead of the final sentencing.
According to SAPS, the girl was hiking along the N9 towards Willowmore when she accepted a lift from Motaung. Instead of dropping her at her destination, he drove past the town and raped her, SAPS said. He then drove her to Johannesburg, where he raped her a second time, before taking her on to Gqeberha.
Motaung removed and destroyed the victim’s SIM card shortly after the abduction, according to Brigadier Nobuntu Gantana, SAPS Eastern Cape spokesperson. Her family reported her missing on Tuesday, 28 February 2023, after she failed to return home. “While the accused was outside the truck attending to a delivery in Korsten, Gqeberha, the victim accessed his cellphone and used her Facebook account to alert family members,” Gantana said.
The alert led to Detective Sergeant Angus Mpondo, acting unit commander of the Willowmore Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit, coordinating with Detective Sergeant Pietersen of the Gelvandale Detectives to locate and rescue the girl. She was taken for a medical examination, where she confirmed being raped by the accused.
“Bail was opposed and initially denied. The accused remained in custody for approximately one year before being granted bail,” Gantana said. He was rearrested and placed back into custody on 18 June 2026 following his conviction, and remained there until sentencing on 7 August.
Gantana attributed the roughly three-year gap between the 2023 incident and the case’s conclusion to several factors. “The DNA results were delayed. The trial commenced in late 2025, but was delayed when the accused’s defence attorney passed away, requiring the appointment of a new legal representative,” she said. “Further delays occurred after the accused was convicted in June 2026, when he dismissed his attorney and appointed a new one for the sentencing phase.”
Motaung was sentenced to five years for kidnapping and 20 years each on two counts of rape. The court ordered the sentences to run concurrently, giving an effective term of 20 years. He has also been declared unfit to possess a firearm and his name has been entered into the National Register for Sex Offenders.
Asked whether SAPS was tracking a pattern of predatory behaviour targeting hikers on the N9 near Willowmore, Gantana said this was “the first reported incident of this nature on the N9 corridor near Willowmore,” and that police “continue to monitor all routes and encourage members of the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity.”
“This conviction demonstrates our relentless pursuit of justice for victims of gender-based violence. I commend Detective Sergeants Mpondo and Pietersen for their swift actions that rescued the young survivor and ensured a thorough investigation. We trust this sentence will bring closure to the victim and her family,” said Eastern Cape Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Vuyisile Ncata.
