The Provincial Commissioner of South African Police Service in Limpop,o Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe has a welcomed the lengthy jail term sentencing meted out to a 23-year-old accused by the Regional Court in Mahwelereng and convictions for robbery and rape charges.
On Tuesday 20 June 2023, the Regional Court in Mahwelereng handed a harsh sentencing to 23-year-old Jackson Manamela for offences that included robbery, rape and house breaking with intention to steal and robbery.
The Court heard that the accused found the 84-year-old elderly victim cooking outside her shack on 9 May 2022 at Mellenium village under Mahwelereng policing precinct outside Mokopane.
He accosted and stabbed the elderly woman with a pair of scissors and dragged her into the shack.
The victim was robbed R70 in cash and her Social Grant Card before she was raped by the accused who later fled the scene.
Afterwards, the victim went to the neighbor’s house and informed them about the ordeal and Police were immediately summoned to the scene.
Robbery and rape cases were immediately opened and the suspect was subsequently apprehended after just three days on 12 May 2022.
The case was transferred to Mokopane Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit (FCS) for further investigations and Sergeant Ramokone Tinah Matsimbi was assigned to the matter.
Through her dedication and commitment, she ensured that Jackson Manamela was never granted bail after it was discovered that he was out on bail for housebreaking with the intention to steal and commit robbery on 2 December 2019 committed against the same 84-year-old victim.
The two cases were combined and the accused was found guilty on the following counts of offences:
1. Count 1 – Robbery – 3 years’ imprisonment.
2. Count 2 – Rape – Life imprisonment.
3. Count 3 – Housebreaking with the intention to rob and commit robbery – 15 years’ imprisonment.
All the sentences will run concurrently and the accused was also declared unfit to possess a firearm.
