The Provincial Commissioner of Police in Limpopo, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe and her Management have welcomed the life sentences that were handed down on 23 June 2021, by the Thabazimbi Regional Court against two rapists aged 30 and 35.
The trial court found that the two men gave the victim, aged 36 by then, a lift in Northam on 23 April 2019, at about 19:50. They drove to a secluded area along the R510 Road next to Prospectus. After stopping the car, they then started to threaten the victim and both raped her.
The Police who were patrolling the area as a reaction to numerous complaints of similar incidents emanating from the same area, came across a vehicle with two occupants speeding from the area and pulled it over.
A further probe led to the discovery of the victim who immediately pointed the two men as the ones who had just raped her. They were immediately arrested.
The case was assigned to Constable Thabiso Anbrey Seshoka of Northam Detective Unit for further investigations. The two men, Tumelo Mataboge aged 30 and Luckyboy Rapula Motlhomi aged 35, were ultimately found guilty of rape and were each sentenced to life imprisonment.
Lieutenant General Hadebe has praised the investigating officer for securing these life sentences and said they will serve as a deterrent to other rapists. “These sentences will strengthen our resolve to fight gender-based violence,” concluded Lieutenant General Hadebe.
