LIMPOPO – This following the recent conviction of men for trio and contact crimes in the Thohoyandou and Tzaneen areas respectively.
According to a statement issued by Police Spokesperson, Lt Col Moatshe Ngoepe, 23-year-old Masala Mabaya, accused of raping and robbing a 26-year-old woman in her home in August 2015 in Themnaluvhilo village, was sentenced by the Dzanani Regional Court in Mphephu outside Thohoyandou
“He entered her room through a window, covered her face with a pillow case and raped her at knife point. He also robbed the victim of her cellphone before he fled the scene.”
Mabaya was sentenced to life imprisonment for rape and a further 15 years imprisonment for house robbery. He was further declared unfit to possess a firearm.
Meanwhile in Ritavi outside Tzaneen, a 30-year-old serial rapist was sentenced in the Ritavi Regional Court.
Rufus Rifosi Mkhawana of Khujwana village was sentenced to two life imprisonment terms for two counts of rape, 30 years imprisonment for three counts of rape, 15 years imprisonment for armed robbery and two years imprisonment for assault with grievous bodily harm.
Ledwaba further encouraged the Family Violence ,Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit to keep up the good work to ensure that all woman and children are safe and secure at all times.
“All perpetrators of sexual offences are warned to refrain from their dirty work otherwise, they will be dealt with accordingly until they go to jail for long. We hope these sentences will give a relief and closure to their victims and they will also serve as a deterrent to all the rapists to be out there that crime does not pay, concluded General Ledwaba.
