POTCHEFSTROOM – The Provincial Commissioner of North West, Lieutenant General Sello Kwena welcomed two life sentences and additional 28 years imprisonment handed down to a 30-year-old serial rapist by the Bafokeng Regional Court in Tlhabane on Wednesday, 15 June 2022.
The sentences emanated from three separate incidents wherein victims were raped and robbed of their cell phones and clothes.
In the first incident, a 15-year-old girl was with her boyfriend and walking to a nearby shop at Pitso Section in Phokeng outside Rustenburg at about 20:00 on Tuesday, 5 January 2021, when approached by the convict. The latter chased and forced the boyfriend to leave by throwing stones at him. The girl was consequently taken to the nearby bushes and raped. On her way back home after escaping, the girl met her boyfriend and her aunt who took her to Phokeng police station to lay charges of rape and common robbery.
In the second incident at about 19:00 on Wednesday evening, 13 January 2021, a 22-year-old woman was from her aunt’s place at Kotokoto Section, Phokeng and going back to her residential place at Lenatong Section when the convict approached her and volunteered to accompany her as he was also going to the same area. They were walking and about to cross the bridge when the accused grabbed and dragged the woman to the nearby bushes and raped her. He then robbed her of her cell phone and clothes before fleeing from the scene. The matter was reported to the police for investigation.
In the third incident which occurred 30 minutes after the second one at Lemenong Section, the convict met and approached a 14-year-old minor who was on her way home. He wanted to know if she was not afraid of walking alone and ultimately dragged her to the bushes and raped her. Thereafter, he robbed her of her cell phone and clothes. Subsequent to the incident, the victim ran to Phokeng police station where she reported the incident and also found the 22-year-old woman reporting a rape case and common robbery. Consequently, the police and security officers with assistance of members of the community, searched for the convict at Lenatong Section where he was found in possession of the victims’ clothes. He was arrested and eventually identified by the 15-year-old victim which also he raped on Tuesday, 5 January 2021.The accused was finally sentenced to two life terms for two counts of rape. He was further handed 20 years imprisonment for another rape and four years for each of two counts of common robbery.
In an unrelated incident in Boitekong, a 35-year-old stepfather was sentenced to 18 years imprisonment by the Bafokeng Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 14 June 2022, for raping his 10-year-old stepdaughter. The court heard that the accused and his wife were at their place in Boitekong on Saturday, 21 December 2019, when he sent the wife to the tavern to buy more alcohol. He then went to the room where the stepdaughter was sleeping and raped her. The minor informed her mother about the incident upon return from the tavern and the matter was reported to the police leading to the arrest of the stepfather.
Lieutenant General Sello Kwena commended the Rustenburg Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit and prosecution for securing lengthy jail terms against the two perpetrators. He also thanked members of the community and security officers for working together with the police in arresting the serial rapist.
Source: South African Police Service