This advocate is putting sexual offenders behind bars

Compassion. That's a key attribute cited by advocate Sasabona Ngobeni, who is driven by a desire to restore the power of sexual offence victims by prosecuting abuse cases and obtaining convictions.

“Prosecution is embedded in me, it's like a calling, it's like a ministry,” she said.

The 57-year-old, whose name means “assistance to others”, is passionate about helping victims. 

She feels a sense of purpose helping someone who can't assist themselves.

“You cannot prosecute sexual offences if you don't have compassion. You must be compassionate, you must have the love of doing it, the love of helping those victims. In a rape case, you are dealing with a sensitive case where the victims feel stigmatised, they are traumatised, you need to have that compassion to understand them. It's a handle with care situation,” she said.

She said her role was to believe and assist victims to tell their stories.

“Most of the victims of rape have a problem in telling their stories and they have a problem in that most people do not believe them. Every witness that comes through my hands, I believe them and the first thing I do when I consult is to tell them, 'I have read your statement and I believe that what you are telling me is what happened.' You will see the person start to lighten up,” she said.

Born in Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga, she grew up partly in Pretoria.

Ngobeni began working as an interpreter in Heidelberg in October 1992, and about nine month later, a senior court interpreter saw her potential and advised her to apply for a bursary to study law.

She obtained her LLB in 2004 and in 2006 was appointed as a junior state lawyer in the director of public prosecutions office.

In 2023, she was appointed deputy director of public prosecutions in Limpopo and transferred to Pretoria for the same position. She now handles extraditions and legal mutual assistance. 

Ngobeni has won cases, from ensuring that the Dros rapist is in prison to solving a cold murder case 20 years later. 

She lost a case in 2023 supporting a Polokwane prosecutor who was allegedly raped at gunpoint by a police officer — who was later acquitted. After almost 31 years in court, Ngobeni's loss left a bitter taste in her mouth, and she is appealing.

“What is so sad about it is that the victim is a prosecutor. I did not sleep. How can I not be able to defend my own,” she said.

Ngobeni said being a prosecutor had lasting effects: “You cannot be in court, doing such cases and remain the same. It can't be, it affects (you). I always want to know where my children are. It makes you overprotective and over sensitive, I would say paranoid. Most cases of rape are perpetrated by people you know, people you trust.” 

The most fulfilling part, she said, was seeing smiling women who had made it.

“I tell them that it's not me who is going to convince the judge, it's you. I am just going to help you narrate your story and you take your power back ... It's fulfilling to see those women, and some do come back and write back to you.”

Some of the victims have reached out to express their gratitude.

“In the Dros case the aunt called me to say she (the victim) wants to talk to (me). She said, ‘thank you so much, thank you that you did not expose my identity.’”

Walking into court unleashes a lion that prepares to roar when defending her victims.

“By law, prosecutors are Dominus litis, you need to dominate, you must be in charge, in control, that thing must come out — the lion in you must roar. When you are in court you need to take charge and sometimes the suspects say 'she is a woman, maybe let's intimidate'. Our job comes with some risks and responsibilities, so be ready to take both,” she said.

“I love doing this and I am looking forward (to it) every day especially when I have a court case. The only thing that will come my way is exhaustion, where the body needs rest, but preparation-wise, mentally going to court — I am looking forward to challenging my opponents,” she said.

Ngobeni said she draws strength from God.

“My place of strength is in my knees.”

“I am a prayerful woman — a warrior for that matter. I draw from God, he is my strength, I understand my bible. I don't expect a miracle told by someone, I get a miracle from my understanding of what God says I am,” said Ngobeni.

She has learnt to separate her work and personal life.

“At home, I am a mother, though some of the experiences you get from work encroach on your personal life, but you try to balance it,” she said.

Looking back, she said that she did not view herself as anything other than an interpreter. 

“God places helpers all over, so he identified me and gave me an opportunity. It was after I registered and passed the first course I realised I could do this and I dedicated time for studying,” she said.