POLOKWANE – The Provincial Commissioner of Police in Limpopo Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe welcomed the lengthy jail term handed to two of the four Farm Attack accused by the Polokwane Division High Court on Thursday 10 August 2023. This Court outcome followed an incident of farm attack that happened on 03 August 2020 at Mogwadi Policing precinct.
The Court heared that four male suspects stormed at Draaifontein Farm and found an elderly couple inside the house. They assaulted an eighty year-old farm owner until he became unconscious and later two suspects raped the farmer’s 65 year-old wife.
Afterwards, the assailants took one hunting rifle and a pistol firearm before fleeing the scene with the victim’s Nissan Navara bakkie. Police were alerted about the incident and immediately commenced with a manhunt for the suspects until the suspects were spotted driving along the Westenburg Traffic Circle outside Polokwane.
Police attempted to stop the motor vehicle but the suspects started firing shots and the Police retaliated resulting to one suspect being fatally wounded and his accomplice apprehended after the shootout.
Detectives Captain Koena Manamela and Sergeant Charles Lamola attached to Mogwadi SAPS were assigned to investigate the matter and managed to ensure that the three are not granted bail until their sentencing.
Two accused pleaded guilty namely, Aaron Mabena aged 22 was handed Ten (10) year imprisonment for house robbery, attempted murder and theft of firearms.
His accomplice, Nicolus Tlou (33) was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment for rape, house robbery, attempted murder and theft of firearms.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the deceased suspect committed rape on the farm owner’s wife together with Nicolus Tlou.
The third accused, Christopher Mokgomutsi (34) is scheduled to be sentenced next week on Thursday 17 August 2023 at Polokwane High court respectively facing house robbery, attempted murder and theft of firearms offences.
Content retrieved from: https://www.saps.gov.za/newsroom/msspeechdetail.php?nid=47736.
