A 30-year-old man has been sentenced to 45 years' imprisonment by the Vryheid Regional Court for the rape of two children in northern KwaZulu-Natal.
The sentence was handed down on Wednesday following the man's conviction on charges relating to the sexual assault of two children, aged nine and 11, during a family gathering in Dudusini in September 2024.
According to police, the abuse only came to light three months later after an elder overheard the children discussing the incident with another child and asked them to explain what had happened.
KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Thenjiswa Ngcobo said the children disclosed the assaults to the adult, who immediately took them to a police station to report the matter.
A rape case was subsequently opened, and the suspect, who was a neighbour of the victims, was traced, arrested and charged.
Ngcobo said the accused pleaded not guilty to the charges.
However, she said the court found him guilty based on compelling evidence gathered during the investigation, together with the testimony presented by the two victims.
The court subsequently sentenced the man to an effective 45 years behind bars.