Two Nelson Mandela Bay detectives managed to secure three life sentences across two shocking rape cases last week, reaffirming the police’s strong stance against GBV. Sergeant Babalwa Ramba and Constable Mihlali Dingaan, both with the Gqeberha Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit (FCS), believe these sentences are a reward for the time they put into their investigations. (Photo: Riaan Marais) 
Some cases stay with detectives long after the docket is closed. And if the case involved a heinous crime, like the rape of a woman or child, securing a life sentence can take empathy and a whole lot of persistence.
Last week, two detectives from Gqeberha’s Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit (FCS) saw that persistence pay off: Constable Mihlali Dingaan and Sergeant Babalwa Ramba helped secure three life sentences across two harrowing cases.
For Dingaan, this victory was especially sweet as this was the first case she was assigned after joining the FCS as a new detective in 2023. The 29-year-old detective joined the police in 2022, and had only been assigned to the FCS for a few weeks before she was placed on standby and a call came through to her department on 3 October 2023.
The call was about a rape that had taken place in March, where the victim, 19, was lured to her neighbour’s house in Arries Street, Gelvandale, by two family friends, Sherwin Terreblanche and Jadrion Jaggers, where one of the men pinned her down while the other raped her.
The duo were arrested three days after the matter was reported.
The victim’s trauma was further compounded when she learned she had fallen pregnant as a result of the rape.
“When I started with FCS I knew it would not be easy, but this first case turned out to be far more challenging than I anticipated,” Dingaan said.
“It made me question whether or not this line of work really is for me. However, securing this sentence and knowing I played a role in securing justice for the victim and her family is all the motivation I need to keep going.”
/file/attachments/orphans/GBVDetectives3_178164.jpg "In her first investigation, Constable Mihlali Dingaan secured a life sentence for both men accused of raping a 19-year-old victim. She said the investigation was tougher than she had anticipated, but the lengthy sentences motivated her to keep going. (Photo: Riaan Marais)")
She said earning the victim’s trust and getting her to cooperate with the investigation had been challenging, as the trauma the 19-year-old suffered made her stubborn and defiant.
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“At first, communicating with her was difficult, which is completely understandable. She had suffered double trauma – first from the incident itself, and then learning about the baby quite late into her pregnancy.
“She did not want to keep the baby, but the doctors told her it was too late to abort. When she went into labour, her family contacted me. They wanted me to be there with her because of the trust relationship we had built during the investigation.
“As a detective, you try to keep things professional, but it is hard not to become emotionally invested in victims’ lives.”
Last week, on 4 February, Dingaan was at the Gqeberha Regional Court with the victim’s family when Terreblanche and Jaggers were handed life sentences.
Asked what went through her mind when the sentences were handed down, Dingaan flashed a massive smile.
“Because of the challenges this case presented, my personal involvement and knowing the victim’s trauma, hearing that sentence felt like a victory. I knew it meant a lot to the victim and her family that we were able to secure that sentence.
“And for me personally, getting that sentence on my first case… man, it felt good,” the smiling detective said.
Read more: Rape survivor uses her own horrific experience to support others
On the same day, in the same courthouse, her colleague Sergeant Ramba was also wrapping up a case.
Her matter involved the rape of an 11-year-old mentally challenged boy from Kuyga township, in Greenbushes, in September 2023.
The investigation revealed that the boy was playing with other children, in a bushy area near his home, when Lisakhanya Tony, 18, and Winston Smith, 32 approached the group children, separated the victim from the others, and raped him.
Members of the community reported the matter to the police the following day, resulting in the two accused being arrested and remaining in custody for the remainder of their trial.
Smith was sentenced to life imprisonment. The court was more lenient towards Tony, as he was a minor at the time of the commission of the offence, sentencing him to 15 years behind bars.
/file/attachments/orphans/GBVDetectives4_304591.jpg "As a mother of three, Sergeant Babalwa Ramba said it could at times be difficult to separate work and family life. But over time she had learned to cope with the pressures of being am FCS detective. And securing a life sentence for one accused, and 15 years’ imprisonment for the other, was a feather in her cap. (Photo: Riaan Marais)")
With 11 years’ experience as an FCS detective, Ramba, 42, said the cases didn’t get easier, especially not when the victims were minors.
“This boy is a special needs child. Communicating is difficult, especially taking into account the ordeal he suffered.
“I had to spend time with him, build a relationship with him. When he had to testify in court, I had to be there to encourage him and to show him that he was not alone and it was safe for him to talk.
“As my colleague (Dingaan) said, there is no way these cases do not become personal.”
She said another challenge, which was not unique to this case, was securing credible witnesses.
“You must remember, witnesses, victims and the perpetrators are often relatives or neighbours. They are afraid to testify against each other. Witnesses disappear, or they change their versions of events.
“In this case, several of the witnesses were children. Getting one coherent story out of them was not easy.”
On the other hand, Ramba said working with the perpetrators was equally difficult, particularly Tony.
At first he was held at a correctional facility for minors, and she had built a rapport with him. She said he showed a willingness to cooperate and assist the court with information.
“However, when he turned 18 and he was transferred to an adult facility, his entire demeanour changed. He became stubborn and rebellious, refusing to answer questions, and all the remorse he had previously shown just melted away,” she said.
Outside of work, Ramba said the challenges of being an FCS detective often had an impact on her home life. Being a mother of three, she said she often projected her concerns for victims on her family.
“My kids will often tell me not to bring my work home, and I need to tell them that I see these things happening every day. Victims get hurt, and often by people who they know and trust. I can’t just switch off that part of my brain,” Ramba said.
Speaking about her most recent success, Ramba said that after 11 years on the job securing a hefty sentence for a serious crime still felt like a gold star on her report card.
“The family is happy, I am happy, and the community gets to see that good police work pays off in the end,” she said.
Nelson Mandela Bay District Police Commissioner Major-General Vuyisile Ncata said the sentences showed the police’s unwavering efforts to combat gender-based violence, and he urged victims and survivors to come forward and report such crimes to the police officials tasked with investigating them.
“Securing these life sentences within one week sends a strong and uncompromising message that crimes against women and children will not be tolerated. These sentences reflect the tireless efforts of our investigators and prosecutors, and demonstrate the police’s commitment to removing dangerous offenders from our communities.
“Each conviction strengthens the fight against gender-based violence and restores confidence to victims that justice will prevail,” Ncata said.
On Tuesday, Community Safety MEC Xolile Nqatha unpacked the newly released crime statistics for the Eastern Cape over the first and second quarters of the 2025/26 financial year.
While there were some encouraging year-on-year drops in certain categories of crime, rape showed a slight increase, one again highlighting concerns about GBV in the province.
The hotspot areas were centred around the northern and western regions of the province, in areas like Lusikisiki, Mthatha, Ngqeleni, Mbizana and Tsolo, although GBV remains a scourge across the entire province.
“We remain concerned about the increases registered in rape and attempted sexual offences during the first and second quarters of this financial year. The total sexual offences increased by 0.9% and 4.8% during the first and second quarters of this year respectively,” Nqatha said.
/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/MC-MEC-collapse-gov.jpg "Xolile Nqatha, the Eastern Cape MEC for Community Safety. (Photo: Gallo Images / Beeld / Werner Hills)")
He said the national government had declared GBV against women and children a disaster, and urged all stakeholders and law enforcement agencies to collaborate in the fight against violence.
“The situation we are facing demands that we all work tirelessly to ensure that no woman or child is raped or murdered in this province. We will intensify our intervention strategies, particularly in the identified rape hotspots.” DM