Byline: Nonjabuliso Nhlambo

05 September 2025

Khutso Christopher Seopa ( 39) appeared before the Evander Magistrates’ court on Friday, 05 September 2025, for sentencing.

He was convicted and found guilty on four (04) counts of rape, one (01) count of escaping in custody, one (01) count of possession of an unlicensed firearm, two (02) counts of kidnapping, and one (01) count of robbery with aggravating circumstances.

Seopa would target victims who were hitchhiking in the evening, heading home. He drove with them to a secluded area where he would sexually assault them.

In June 2017, a police officer from Evander SAPS received a tip-off about an unknown man seen around Evander town with a firearm. Upon responding to the complaint, the police were told that the man who fit Seopa’s description went to Nesto Lounge. The police proceeded to Nesto in pursuit of the suspect.

The police notified the bouncer at Nesto Lounge about the suspect, and since there were many patrons inside the lounge, he waited outside until the suspect came out. He was then confronted, and a scuffle ensued between the police and the suspect.

The suspect, however, was overpowered and cuffed, and a firearm was found on his waist.

He was arrested, and the case was later withdrawn pending a ballistic report.

In June 2019, a female employee from a retail shop had just knocked off from work at around 17h30 and went to a hitchhiking spot in Evander, seeking transport to take her home. A maroon Nissan hardbody with one male inside stopped for her, and while driving on R546 road towards Embalenhle, the driver turned right towards Adullam missionary school and headed to a secluded area, where, upon arrival, he pointed the victim with a firearm and was ordered to take off her clothing.

The woman was raped more than once without a condom. Once finished, he drove with the victim to Embalenhle and dropped her not far from her home. A case of rape was registered at Evander SAPS for investigation.

On the 04th of June 2019, at about 18h00, another survivor had just knocked off from work at Evander town and went to the taxi rank only to find that there were no taxis at the rank, and she went to the hitchhiking spot. Suddenly, a maroon Nissan Hardbody stopped next to her, and an unknown male offered her a lift to Embalenhle.

She got inside the bakkie and drove with the unknown male. The same thing happened along the R546 Embalenhle road whereby the driver turned right towards Addullam missionary school and proceeded to a secluded area where she was raped more than once without a condom. And later, a rape case was registered at Evander SAPS for further investigation. 

Around June 2019, one victim spotted Seopa at Evander town and rushed to Evander SAPS to inform the police, and the suspect was arrested.

In January 2020, the accused appeared at the Evander regional court, and the case was postponed to February 10, 2020. 

On that day of his court appearance, when prisoners were loaded in the vehicle to Bethal prison, the accused was said to have hidden himself in the basement at Evander court and later made his way out of court courthouse, and escaped.

He was re-arrested in  October 2022 while at his parental home in Motetema, Limpopo, and was brought back to Evander to resume trial. 

The state called 49 witnesses for trial purposes, including forensic experts. During the trial, the accused elected to remain silent, not even cross-examining state witnesses, claiming that he is mentally disturbed even though a report from a psychiatric stated that the accused is fit to stand trial.

He only stood up when his case was postponed and sat down when informed by the court. 

The accused appeared in person since he fired his attorney. 

On the 21st of July 2025, the accused was found guilty on all counts and the matter was remanded to 4 September 2025 for pre-sentencing and the presiding officer assigned the probating officer from social development to compile a home circumstatial report from the accused but again the accused elected not to participate and told the social worker that he compiled his own report in mitigating his sentence. 

On the 4th of September 2025, at Evander regional court, the magistrate was shocked when the accused produced a 4-page report in mitigating his sentence, and the report was read into the record and also admitted as an exhibit.

The Evander Magistrate’s court then sentenced Seopa as follows:

1. COUNT ONE RAPE: LIFE IMPRISONMENT 

2. COUNT TWO RAPE: LIFE IMPRISONMENT

3. COUNT THREE RAPE: LIFE IMPRISONMENT 

4. COUNT FOUR RAPE: LIFE IMPRISONMENT 

5. COUNT FIVE ESCAPING FROM CUSTODY: FIVE YEARS IMPRISONMENT 

6. COUNT SIX POSSESSION OF UNLICENSED FIREARM: FIFTEEN YEARS IMPRISONMENT 

7. COUNT SEVEN KIDNAPPING: FIVE YEARS IMPRISONMENT 

8. COUNT EIGHT KIDNAPPING: FIVE YEARS IMPRISONMENT 

9. COUNT NINE ROBBERY WITH AGGRAVATING: FIFTEEN YEARS IMPRISONMENT