A Johannesburg court has convicted Mozambican national Sara Pete Simiao for r@p!ng and murdering six-year-old Amantle.
Authorities confirmed his guilty plea, with sentencing scheduled for August 19, 2025.
The Johannesburg High Court has convicted a 25-year-old Mozambican national, Sara Pete Simiao, after he pleaded guilty to multiple charges including kidnapping, r@pe, murder, and contravening South Africa’s Immigration Act. The charges relate to the tragic death of six-year-old Amantle Samane, whose lifeless body was found in Orlando East, Soweto, in October 2024.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) confirmed the conviction in a statement on Friday, August 15, 2025. State Advocates Zamikhaya Staffa and Matshediso Phatlanyane prosecuted the matter. The case was heard before the Gauteng Local Division of the High Court in Johannesburg, where the accused entered a detailed plea admitting to all charges.
According to court proceedings, Simiao confessed that he was intoxicated at the time of the incident. He admitted to sexu@lly ass@ulting the young girl and then strangling her to death in an attempt to silence her and conceal his crime. His chilling account corroborated earlier suspicions raised by members of the Orlando East community during the child’s disappearance.
On the day of the incident, Amantle’s mother, with the assistance of neighbors, had launched a frantic search when the child did not return home. A witness who had earlier spotted the girl walking with Simiao someone known not to be a relative raised alarm, leading the community to confront the suspect. Their search ended in horror when the child’s half-naked body was discovered inside a shack.
Police were immediately alerted, and following days of investigation, Simiao was tracked down and arrested in Zola, Soweto, on 23 October 2024. The case then proceeded through extensive legal review before culminating in his guilty plea.
The High Court carefully examined all aspects of the plea and found him guilty on every count. Sentencing has been scheduled for 19 August 2025, where the court is expected to deliver a final judgment on his punishment.
The NPA, in its statement, emphasized that the conviction demonstrates the effectiveness of coordinated police investigations and diligent prosecution. It described the outcome as one of many daily successes in bringing perpetrators of violent crimes to justice, while reaffirming its commitment to protecting the most vulnerable members of society.
