FREE STATE — A 36-year-old man, Kenneth Lepota, has been arrested in Qwaqwa after evading sentencing for a rape conviction for nearly 12 years. The capture of the Tseseng Village resident concludes a lengthy manhunt and brings long-pending legal proceedings back to the Tseseng Magistrate’s Court.
The legal proceedings stem from an incident that occurred on 6 April 2011, at approximately 00:45. A 26-year-old woman from Tseseng Village was walking home from a local tavern with a friend when they were confronted by three men. The suspects forcefully grabbed the victim, dragged her into nearby bushes, and raped her. The victim was subsequently able to identify all three perpetrators to authorities.
Following the investigation, the suspects were arrested, prosecuted, and convicted of rape in 2014 at the Tseseng Magistrate’s Court. They were released on bail pending their sentencing. However, before the sentencing could be finalized, one of the accused died. The second co-accused, Morena Mokoena, was sentenced to life imprisonment and is currently serving his sentence. Kenneth Lepota absconded, failing to appear in court and remaining in hiding for nearly 12 years.
Law enforcement continued searching for Lepota over the years. The breakthrough occurred on Friday, 3 July 2026, when a community member spotted him after he returned to the village. The community member immediately alerted the investigating officer, leading to Lepota’s prompt arrest.
Kenneth Lepota is scheduled to appear before the Tseseng Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, 7 July 2026, to face sentencing following his standing conviction for rape.
