Media Statement
South African Police Service
Office of the Provincial Commissioner KwaZulu-Natal

DURBAN – The Umzimkhulu Regional Court has on 30 September 2026 sentenced convicted serial rapist Tenes Hassan to six life imprisonment terms after he was found guilty of raping six women between January and December 2022 in Umzimkhulu.

On all the six rape cases, the 33-year-old Hassan broke into the houses where women were staying by themselves or with their children, demanded cellphones and money before raping them. The cold-blooded sex pest pounced on his victims mostly between 02:00 and 03:00 in the morning.

The Kokstad Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit detectives collected pieces of evidence and linked Hassan to all the rape cases through the DNA. The court further sentenced Hassan to an additional eight years in prison for housebreaking. His name will be entered in the National Register of Sexual Offenders.

On separate matters, the Kokstad FCS secured another life imprisonment sentence for a 45-year-old man who raped his 5-year-old niece in the Gowan Lea policing precinct on 28 December 2025. On the day, the child was playing at her neighbour’s house when the uncle called her to his house. The victim’s brother followed but the uncle chased him away and raped the child. The sentence was also handed down by the Umzimkhulu Regional Court.

It was a busy end of the month for the Umzimkhulu Regional Court which also handed down a sentence of 20 years direct imprisonment to a 19-year-old woman who was found guilty of raping her 9-year-old neighbour in the Ibisi area. The woman called the victim to her room where she instructed the child to undress and raped her with her fingers.

All convicted rapists will have their names entered in the National Register of Sexual Offenders.      

Ends