The Kimberley Regional Court handed down a hefty 30 year direct imprisonment sentence to 76 year old Jerry “Gobela” Mabundza on Tuesday, 18 July 2023, for 3 counts of rape of a 16-year-old female victim in Warrenton, between November 2020 and January 2021.
The Court heard that the accused, Jerry Mabundza who was a traditional sangoma trainee mentor, a “Gobela” to the victim’s mother, repeatedly on different occasions raped the daughter under the pretense that it is part of the mother’s traditional ritual training program.
The victim could not relate this unlawful act to the mother fearing that it may derail her training program, until the mother noticed an unbecoming behaviour from the victim and interrogated her.
She then narrated to the mother what has been happening and the mother acted swiftly by reporting the matter to the police.
The accused was sentenced 10 years direct imprisonment for each of the 3 rape counts reported and his name will be included in the national sex offenders’ data-base.
The Northern Cape SAPS Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Koliswa Otola applauded Detective Sergeant Ogolotse Edwin Thabapelo for the thorough and meticulous investigation of the case.
She said efforts will continue unabatedly to support GBVF victims to ensure that perpetrators committing these heinous crimes will feel the full might of the law.
