Pretoria - Limpopo Police have welcomed the life sentences meted out by the Thabazimbi Regional Court to two rapists aged 30 and 35.
Tumelo Mataboge and Luckyboy Rapula Motlhomi were found guilty of raping a 36-year-old woman in April 2019 after they had given her a lift late in the evening in Northam.
Limpopo Police spokesperson Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo said the two then drove to a secluded road at R510 Prospectus where they then stopped then car, threatened the victim and both raped her.
“The police who were patrolling the area as a reaction to numerous complaints of similar incidents emanating from the same area, came across a vehicle with two occupants speeding from the area and pulled it over.
“Further probe led to the discovery of the victim who immediately pointed the two men as the ones who had just raped her. They were immediately arrested.”
“The two men ... were ultimately found guilty of raping the victim and were each sentenced to life imprisonment,” Mojapelo added.
Provincial commissioner of police in Limpopo Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe saluted the investigating officers for their work and welcomed the life sentences.
“These sentences will strengthen our resolve to fight gender-based violence,” Hadebe said.
In March, a 45-year-old pastor from Mpumalaga was found guilty of raping a hitch-hiker, taking her clothes and leaving her naked in the bushes after violating her.
On December 29, 2019, the woman was desperately trying to get to Nelspruit and hitched a ride from Pastor Chris Derrick Gabisani Xaba.
As soon as the woman got inside the car, Xaba told her that he needed to collect other commuters who were heading in the same direction.
Xaba then drove to a secluded bush at a farm near Witbank, where he drew out a firearm along the way and started behaving violently towards the woman.
He threatened to kill her should she resist co-operating with his orders. When the coast was clear for him, Xaba raped the victim and robbed her of her personal belongings, including the clothes she was wearing at the time. In order to scare the daylights out of her, he fired a gun shot before leaving her stranded and ... naked.”
At the time of the crime, Xaba was out on bail for rape.
IOL