North West’s graveyard rapist convicted on 37 counts of violent crimes

A serial rapist has been sentenced to life imprisonment after being found guilty of a long list of violent offences committed in towns and villages in the North West.

These included kidnapping, rape, assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, robbery with aggravating circumstances and pointing a firearm.

The High Court of South Africa sitting in Klerksdorp on Wednesday sentenced Kabelo Anderson Tserema, 43, after he was charged on 11 dockets, with a total of 45 counts of crime against him.

He was convicted on 37 counts, being acquitted in the other eight counts after witnesses refused to testify.

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Dragged to graveyards and raped

A joint statement between the police’s Brigadier Sabata Mokgwabone and National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) communications officer Sivenathi Gunya explained that sentencing included:

• Double life imprisonment on two counts of rape,
• Eight counts of rape sentenced to 10 years on each count,
• 12 counts of robbery sentenced to 15 years on each count,
• 11 counts of kidnapping sentenced to five years on each count, and
• Four counts of assault sentenced for six months on each count.

The court ordered that all counts should run concurrently with the sentence of life imprisonment imposed on count one of life imprisonment.

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Ten of these cases were registered in Mogwase and one in Phokeng between May 2013 and February 2016. Following a lengthy investigation, the accused was identified through forensic leads. He was arrested on 11 February 2020 and has been in custody since then.

The court heard that as part of committing the crimes, the accused would wait and attack women walking alone in the evening, then grab and drag them to the nearby bushes or graveyards.

He would assault, rape and rob his victims – who ranged from 16 to 38 years – of their cash and cell phones. Most of the incidents occurred at Lerome and Welgeval villages near Moruleng.

Violating the rights of women

In mitigating for hefty sentence, the prosecutor, Advocate Nangamso Goloda said, “It is an egregious state of affairs that more than two decades after the advent of our constitution which guarantees the rights to privacy, rights to bodily integrity and right to freedom of movement that there are people like Mr Tserema who make it their business to violate such rights against women in our society”.

He further said the accused needs to be removed from society for life to protect the women of this country.

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When delivering the judgment, Judge Pieterson said the accused killed the victims emotionally and physically.

Lieutenant General Kwena and Dr Rachel Makhari, hailed the Investigating Officer, Warrant Officer Ernest Modise and the Prosecutor, Nangamso Goloda and other role players including forensic investigators for their diligence that led to the conviction, and they believed that justice was served to the victims and their families. They urged members of the community to always be vigilant.