By Bulelwa Hoala
- Ayanda Sotyato, 31, was convicted on two counts of rape and handed a 25-year direct prison sentence by the Butterworth Regional Court on 2 March 2026.
- Forensic DNA analysis connected Sotyato to two separate rape cases in Dutywa, Eastern Cape, that took place in October and December 2022.
- Both victims were examined at the Thuthuzela Care Centre (TCC), and the reopened cases were investigated by Detective Warrant Officer Siyabulela Yeyana, resulting in Sotyato’s arrest in September 2024.
A 31-year-old man was handed a 25-year prison sentence after DNA evidence linked him to two rape cases in Dutywa, Eastern Cape, from 2022.
Ayanda Sotyato was convicted of two counts of rape at the Butterworth Regional Court on Monday, 2 March 2026.
According to the South African Police Service (SAPS), the first incident occurred in October 2022, when a 41-year-old woman was raped in the early hours while walking home from a local tavern.
In a separate incident, a 46-year-old woman was assaulted and raped while searching for traditional herbs in an open field in December 2022.
Both cases were reported to the police, and as part of the investigations, the victims were taken to the Thuthuzela Care Centre (TCC) for medical examinations, where forensic samples were collected for DNA analysis.
“The Forensic Science Laboratory later found that the same male DNA profile was linked to both rape incidents. The cases were then reopened for further investigation and assigned to Detective Warrant Officer Siyabulela Yeyana,” SAPS said in a statement.
Sotyato was arrested on 16 September 2024 and charged in connection with both incidents. He first appeared in the Dutywa District Court before the matter was transferred to the Butterworth Regional Court, where he made his appearance on 27 February 2025.
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