Courts in Limpopo once again showed no mercy in sentencing two convicted rapists in separate cases last week.
Provincial Police Spokesperson Moatshe Ngoepe informed that the first case was heard in the Polokwane Regional Court where Martin Tebogo Mamabolo (26) stood accused on two charges of rape committed in 2014 and 2015 respectively. Mamabolo’s modus operandi was to lure victims via advertisements to an RDP house for rent at Unit F, Mankweng. In October 2014 he met a 57-year-old woman in Polokwane. She accompanied Mamabolo’s nephew to the rental house where she waited for him to arrive. Upon his arrival he forcefully raped her, according to Ngoepe. During the second incident, in 2015, Mamabolo convinced a woman he had met on the street to view the house’s interior. While they were inside inspecting the house he dragged her to one of the rooms and raped her, Ngoepe stated.
Mamabolo was sentenced to an effective 40 years behind bars on both counts.
Meanwhile, Police welcomed the sentencing of Thabalesoka Shayi (53) to life imprisonment by the Phalaborwa Regional Court for a rape incident six years ago.
Ngoepe indicated that Shayi had raped a 24-year-old woman at Namakgale outside Phalaborwa. The victim was walking alone from Topville to Mashishimale Village at about 23:30 on 15 December 2012 when she came across two men who changed direction and started to follow her. She became frightened and started to run but the men chased her until she was caught, threatened and dragged into the bush where they took turns raping her, according to Ngoepe.
She reported the matter to the Police who managed to arrest Shayi in 2014. The second suspect is still at large.
Story: RC Myburgh
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