GQEBERHA- The Gqeberha High Court has sentenced Thembelani Andries(31) to eleven(11) life terms for eleven counts of rape committed against six minor boys, aged between 11 and 13-years old. These crimes occurred on 03 May 2015, in the NU 9 bushes near Motherwell, Gqeberha.
On the day in question, the victims were swimming behind NU9 Stadium when they encountered Andries. He lured them into the nearby bushes with the false promise of showing them springboks.
Once they were in the bushes, Andries threatened the boys with a stone, forcing them to perform oral sex on him. He then proceeded to sexually assault the victims, including acts of anal penetration. The accused also coerced one of the victims into performing anal penetration on him. Throughout the ordeal, Andries threatened to kill the boys if they reported the assault.
The victims, terrified and traumatised, eventually managed to report the attack to one of the victims’ mothers.
In a statement issued by Eastern Cape National Prosecuting Authority(EC NPA) stated that, “In his plea agreement, he confessed to his actions as DNA samples from the crime scene were linked to his own. Andries has previous convictions. After the attack, he moved to Maletswai(formerly known as Aliwal North), following the death of his father. In July 2024, he was arrested for unrelated charges. During the sentencing phase,” NPA.
State Advocate Ansiot Kimfley argued that an appropriate sentence should reflect the brutality of the crime, the young age of the victims, and the profound impact these crimes had on their lives. The court concurred.
In addition Director of Public Prosecution in the Eastern Cape Barry Madolo, , welcomed the sentence, describing it as a victory for justice and a significant step in ensuring that individuals who commit such grievous crimes, more particularly against children, are held accountable for their actions.
Photograph: Supplied
