Gqeberha High Court hands down 11 life terms for man who raped six minor boys

Justice has been served for six traumatised boys as the High Court in Gqeberha handed down 11 life terms to the man who raped them behind a stadium in May 2015.  

The High Court of South Africa, Eastern Cape Division, Gqeberha, has sentenced Thembelani Andries (31) to 11 life terms for 11 counts of rape committed against six minor boys.

On the day in question, on 3 May 2015, the victims were swimming behind Motherwell NU9 Stadium in Gqeberha when they encountered Andries.

Andries lured boys into bushes under false promise

The man lured the boys, who were between 11 and 13 years old, into the nearby bushes by the stadium with the false promise of showing them springboks.

National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Luxolo Tyali said once the boys and Andries were in the bushes, the man threatened them with a stone and forced the boys 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,” Tyali said.

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Following the attack, the terrified and traumatised victims eventually managed to report the incident to one of their mothers.

Andries, who has previous convictions, however, moved to Aliwal North after his father died. He was eventually arrested for unrelated charges in July 2024.

After his 2024 arrest, law enforcement agencies were able to link him to the boys’ rape as DNA samples from the crime scene matched his DNA.

Samples from crime scene linked to suspect’s DNA

This vital evidence led to Andries confessing to his actions in his plea agreement.

State Advocate Ansiot Kimfley argued at the sentencing phase that an appropriate sentence should take into account the brutality of the crime, the young age of the victims, and the significant influence these acts had on their lives. The court agreed.

“Barry Madolo, Director of Public Prosecution in the Eastern Cape, 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,” Tyali said.

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