Johannesburg - The Northern Cape High Court on Tuesday sentenced Moses Monnapula, 45, to three life terms after he was found guilty of two counts of kidnapping and three counts of raping two young girls.
The court found that in June 2015, Monnapula lured the two girls aged six and eight to his shack in Madiba Square in Galeshewe, where he kept them overnight and raped them.
"The girls went missing on June 27 at approximately 6pm and community members launched a search. They were rescued the following day by community members after information led them to the shack were Moses kept them overnight," police spokesperson Captain Olebogeng Tawana said.
Monnapula was sentenced three years behind bars for each count of kidnapping, and three life imprisonment for three counts of rape. The sentences shall run concurrently.
Acting Judge Vernon Smith also declared him unfit to possess firearm, and ordered that his particulars must be registered in the Sex Offence Register.
Smith said Monnapula failed to show remorse for his criminal actions, failed to take responsibility for his criminal act.
"He was determined to rape the girls. This is impulsive crime which Monnapula committed against the girls. He was supposed to have protected them, he invaded their privacy, took away their dignity and disgraced them," Smith said.
Tawana said Monnapula has a series of previous convictions, including housebreaking, theft, rape, robbery, assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, possession of drugs of which he served the sentences.
Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Shivuri applauded the investigating officer, Warrant Officer Dupplesis from Galeshewe Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences unit and hailed the sentence.