A Northern Cape man who raped his ex-girlfriend four times will spend the next 70 years behind bars.

Keatlhotse Mothowakae, 25, was found guilty on four counts of rape by the Mothibistad Regional Court for raping his ex-girlfriend in 2015 and 2016.

According to police spokesperson Captain Olebogeng Tawana, the victim was walking home from church when Mothowakae accosted her.

On one occasion, Mothowakae had been sitting under a tree from where he grabbed his ex-girlfriend as she was passing by.

He dragged her to his residence, threatened to kill her with a pair of scissors and raped her.

The victim managed to break loose in the morning and alerted the police.