A 26 year old man was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Thohoyandou Regional Court on Wednesday 18 January 2023, after he was convicted of rape and murder of a teenage girl in Giyani on Christmas day of 2020.
The trial court found that the accused met the 15 year-old victim, who knew him when she came with friends at Mavalani village under Giyani policing area to celebrate Christmas day.
He then offered to buy her chips but later when they returned to their place of residence in Bon’wani village, the accused followed them and grabbed the victim.
He then forced her to a liquor establishment where he offered to buy her liquor. The victim declined and pleaded with the man to let her go but he refused and instead forcibly took her to the nearby bushes at knifepoint, while reminding her that he bought her the chips earlier.
On arrival, the accused raped the defenceless girl and thereafter strangled her. He then dumped the body in a dam and put a huge rock on top in an attempt to cover the heinous crime.
The body was found by a fisherman who immediately alerted the police.
Detective Constable Emmanuel Fulufhelo Nndwambi was assigned to investigate the case further and he did an outstanding work of positively linking the suspect with the case.
Novice Mathebula was traced and arrested in Protea Glen south of Soweto in Gauteng province with assistance of the Johannesburg Metro police.
He appeared in court on several occasions in an attempt to get bail but the investigating officer was able to oppose bail until he was ultimately sentenced today.
The Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe has welcomed the hefty sentence and commends the investigating officer for the diligent work.
