The Fezile Dabi District Commissioner, Major General Moses Makubo, has welcomed the hefty sentencing that was handed down by the Bloemfontein High Court upon Thabo Maseko (30) on Wednesday, 19 April 2023.
Warrant Officer Sophy Kgaeyane of Sasolburg, Serial Rapist Electronic Crime Investigation (SECI) under the Family Violence Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit (FSC) ensured that justice was served after a thorough investigation of five rape cases involving four women aged between 27 and 60-year-old.
The accused started his reign of terror on women back in 2014 when he broke into the victims’ houses, surprised them while asleep and raped them.
His three other cases were in 2017, where the same modus operandi was performed and the violation of three more women was committed.
In 2021, the suspect and his friend grabbed a woman while walking in the street at night and took turns raping her. The victim opened a case in Zamdela.
DNA collection came back positive and pointed to Thabo Maseko. Warrant officer Kgaeyane traced and arrested the accused in June 2022.
He remained in custody until he was sentenced as follows:
On Count 1 (Housebreaking with intent to rape and rape involving inflicting grievous bodily harm), the accused was sentenced to life imprisonment.
On Count 2 (assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm), the accused was sentenced to 3 years’ imprisonment.
On Count 3 (rape), the accused was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment.
On Count 4 (housebreaking with the intent to rape), the accused was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment.
On Count 5 (rape), the accused was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment.
On Count 6 (rape), the accused was sentenced to life imprisonment.
Major General Moses Makubo further applauded the investigating officer, Warrant Officer Sophy Kganyane, the prosecution team, and the judiciary for all the hard work that resulted in the hefty sentence.
“This sentence should serve as a deterrent to others that the arm of the law is long and perpetrators of Gender Based Violence should see this as an example that crime does not pay,” concluded Maj Gen Makubo.
