The end of freedom and being part of the society came to an end to a 31-year-old Thembelani “Raroro” Andries, as he was sentenced to 11 life sentences by the Gqeberha High court on 28 April 2025. Andries was found guilty on 11 counts of rape included horrific crimes committed against six young boys in Motherwell in 2025, as well as a prior conviction for attempted rape in Aliwal North in 2014.
The court heard that on 3 May 2015, six boys aged between 11 and 13 were swimming at Swartkoops Dam near Motherwell, when they were approached by Andries. He lured them under false pretenses, claiming they would help slaughter a springbok in the nearby bushes. Once isolated, he forced them to undress and subjected them to repeat acts of anal rape, forced oral sex, and further sexual assault over several hours. After the attack, he ordered them to leave without looking back, evading immediate arrest as he was unknown to the victims.
Meanwhile the case was reopened for further investigation in February 2024, leading to Andries’s arrest in Aliwal North on 19 July 2024 and forensic evidence linked him to the crimes.
