MIDDELBURG — The Middelburg Regional Court has sentenced a 59-year-old man to life imprisonment for raping his former partner in a case that the court said reflects the ongoing scourge of gender-based violence (GBV) and domestic violence in society.
Monti Dibakwane was also sentenced to 11 years' imprisonment for malicious injury to property and assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. He was further declared unfit to possess a firearm.
The court heard that Dibakwane and the complainant were previously in a domestic relationship. After the relationship ended, the woman relocated to eMalahleni in an effort to escape him.
On 01 December 2022, Dibakwane allegedly tracked her down to a relative’s home in Blinkpan, where he became violent, assaulted her and raped her.
The front door of the house was damaged during the attack.
Police were called to the scene and the victim was taken for medical treatment.
Dibakwane denied the allegations and claimed that the sexual encounter was consensual. However, the court rejected his version after hearing evidence from the complainant, her sister-in-law and the responding police officer. A J88 medical report corroborated the complainant’s testimony.
In a Victim Impact Statement, the woman said she continues to live in fear and has since relocated in an effort to rebuild her life. The court said strong sentences are necessary to send a clear message that gender-based violence will not be tolerated.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Mpumalanga spokesperson Monica Nyuswa welcomed the sentence and reaffirmed the NPA’s commitment to ensuring that perpetrators of GBV are held accountable.
Mpumalanga recorded 9 776 sexual offences during the 2023/2024 financial year, according to the South African Police Service’s annual crime statistics. This translates to an average of 26 reported sexual offences per day across the province.
The figure includes rape, sexual assault, attempted sexual offences and contact sexual offences.
To support survivors, the province has three Thuthuzela Care Centres (TCCs) located in Mbombela, Tonga and eMalahleni, providing medical, psychosocial and legal support services under one roof.
According to data presented by the NPA to Parliament, the three centres assisted more than 1 800 GBV survivors during 2024.
The eMalahleni Thuthuzela Care Centre, which services the Middelburg area, recorded a 14% increase in new cases compared to the previous year.
Courts in the region have increasingly highlighted the prevalence of domestic and gender-based violence in recent judgments. In May 2026, the Middelburg Regional Court sentenced a 42-year-old man to 25 years' direct imprisonment for raping his partner’s 13-year-old daughter, noting the growing number of domestic violence matters appearing before the courts.
Nationally, SAPS statistics show that 42 780 rapes were reported during the 2023/2024 financial year, with Mpumalanga accounting for approximately 7.3% of the national total.
