The Lenyenye Regional Court has on Wednesday 21 February 2018, handed down hefty sentences to two men who were found guilty of rape and kidnapping.
Colly Malepe (27) and Clifford Sekgobela (25) were each condemned to two life sentences after they were found guilty of kidnapping and raping two cousins three years ago.
On 13 November 2014 a social worker, who was 28 years old by then and her cousin, aged 25 years at the time, had accompanied a friend with whom they were watching television at The Willows in Hoedspruit at around 21:30.
On their way back to their room they were accosted by two men, one holding a firearm and the other a knife. The suspects demanded the car keys and bank cards before forcing the two victims into the social worker’s vehicle and drove off with them.
The suspects took the victims to the bushes where they took turns raping them. The following morning a passer by spotted the vehicle in the bushes and alerted the community who responded rapidly. The victims started screaming for help and one suspect was apprehended by the community and handed over to the police.
A knife and a toy gun were found in the suspects’ possession. The other suspect managed to escape but was arrested a day later.
The Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Nneke Ledwaba applauded the investigating team who worked tirelessly to ensure that the culprits get the maximum sentence.
“We commend the investing officer and the team for putting out all stops in ensuring that these hardened criminals are removed from society for good. This is a warning to wannabe criminals that we will make life difficult for them by ensuring that they spend the rest of their lives starring at prison walls”, concluded General Ledwaba.
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