Cape Town - A serial rapist who raped his victims at the Tsakane Cemetery has been convicted in the Pretoria High Court sitting in Benoni.
Petetona Abel Lebele, 43, was found guilty on four charges of rape and four counts of kidnapping.
Provincial spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Lumka Mahanjana said the crimes were perpetrated between January 2017 and, just before his arrest, in August 2019.
The victims were aged seven, 13, 16 and 32.
Lebele pleaded guilty to the charges.
In his plea explanation, Lebele told the court he would grab and drag his victims to the Tsakane Cemetery where he would rape them.
His first victim was also his youngest victim at the time.
According to his plea explanation handed to the court, Lebele told the court that on January 19, 2017, the seven-year-old was on her way to school. He called her and enticed her by telling her to collect sweets.
When the girl refused and started running away, Lebele chased after her. Once he caught up with her, he dragged her to the cemetery, raped her and left her.
In his last rape on August 19, 2019, Lebele raped a 32-year-old woman. At the time the woman had a two-year-old child on her back.
In his plea explanation, the court heard Lebele pushed the two-year-old child to the ground and proceeded to rape the mother.
During court proceedings, State Prosecutor advocate Lawrence Sivhidzho revealed to the court that Lebele had two previous convictions.
He was convicted of theft in 2015 and robbery in 2008.
During his robbery conviction, Lebele was also declared unfit to possess a firearm by the court.