Gqeberha, 26 February 2026 – Nelson Mandela Bay District Commissioner, Major General Vuyisile Ncata, has welcomed the life sentence handed down to serial rapist Lonwabo Ndwe (33) by the Gqeberha High Court. Ndwe was convicted on five counts, including rape, kidnapping, and robbery with aggravating circumstances, for crimes committed in Kariega.
The case stems from an attack in December 2023, when a female security officer at the Kariega railway station was raped during an attempted robbery. DNA evidence linked Ndwe to the incident. Further investigations by the Provincial Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit and the Serial Electronic Crime Investigation (SECI) tied him to a separate rape case in Butterworth, for which he had previously received a 22-year sentence.
On 26 February 2026, the Gqeberha High Court imposed the following sentences on Ndwe:
Rape: 25 years
Robbery with aggravating circumstances: 7 years (two counts)
Kidnapping: 5 years (two counts)
The sentences will run concurrently. Ndwe will be listed on the National Sexual Offenders Register and declared unfit to possess a firearm.
Major General Ncata praised Detective Constable Vuyolwethu Mpendu, under Brigadier Cebo Khonza, for their dedication in securing convictions in both the Butterworth and Kariega cases.
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