Zimbabwean serial rapist receives three life sentences and 226 years behind bars

The Pretoria High Court has sentenced a 34-year-old man from Olievenhoutbosch to three life terms and 226 years of direct imprisonment for a long list of crimes.

Leonard Lemmy Chauke, a Zimbabwean in South Africa illegally, was in custody before he escaped in 2020 to continue the same modus operandi of breaking into homes in and around Olievenhoutbosch and Wierdapark, robbing them and gang-raping women and girls.

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His latest sentencing:

• Three life terms for two counts of rape and murder,
• 80 years direct imprisonment for four counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances,
• 90 years direct imprisonment for six counts of unlawful possession of a firearm,
•15 years direct imprisonment for five counts of housebreaking,
• 15 years direct imprisonment for three counts of kidnapping,
• 10 years direct imprisonment for rape,
• 12 years direct imprisonment for four counts of unlawful possession of ammunition,
• Two years direct imprisonment for escaping from custody and
• Two years direct imprisonment for being illegal in the country.

Escaping custody

“Chauke was meant to serve a 15-year sentence at Kgosi Maphuru Correctional Services, for housebreaking and robbery with aggravating circumstances, when he escaped in December 2020, only after two months of his sentence,” explained National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana.

“After his escape, Chauke and his accomplices committed crimes in and around Olievenhoutbosch and Wierda Park where they used the same modus operandi where [they] would break into the complainants’ houses, robbing them of their belongings and taking the female victims to the nearby veld and gang raping them.

“The youngest of his victims was a 17-year-old girl. On 7 June 2022, Chauke and his accomplice arrived shot and killed a 35-year-old man at a squatter camp in Olievenhoutbosch.

“Chauke was then arrested two days later after a witness to the murder pointed him out to the police and has been in custody since.”

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Chauke pleaded guilty to the all charges and told the court he committed these crimes while under the influence of drugs.

“Through his legal representative, he asked the court to deviate from imposing the prescribed minimum sentences because he has been in custody since his arrest,” Mahanjana said.

‘No remorse shown’

“However, state prosecutor Advocate Mokautu Masilo, argued that Chauke did not show any remorse for the crimes he committed, instead, he is hiding behind his use of drugs. Furthermore, the crimes committed were heinous and were done in a meticulous way where Chauke and his accomplice would scout and attack vulnerable people and threaten them with a weapon.”

The advocate also submitted seven victim impact statements where the victims expressed how the incidents emotionally affected them. Therefore, Masilo asked the court to impose the prescribed minimum sentence.

“When handing down the sentence, Judge Portia Phahlane, agreed with the state that Chauke did not show any remorse, that he was convicted of very serious offences that are prevalent in our country, and that the court must protect law-abiding citizens from such criminals.

“Moreover, Judge Phahlane said everyone has a right to life, which should not be taken away from them and that our communities are terrorised by people like Chauke.

“Therefore, a clear message should be sent that such behaviour is not accepted. Therefore, the sentence given was appropriate.”

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The Director of Public Prosecutions Advocate Sibongile Mzinyathi welcomed the “fitting sentence handed by the court to a man who terrorised the community”.

He also applauded the outstanding work of the investigating officer Sergeant Edward Matsobane and the prosecutor.

He said he wished to assure the community that violent crimes are a priority for the NPA.