A 25-year-old man has been handed a life sentence for raping a 64-year-old woman in the Sekhukhune Limpopo.
Limpopo police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba confirmed a chilling account that unfolded in the early hours of December 4, 2023. At around 12.30 am, a 64-year-old woman and her boyfriend were asleep in their home in Donkey-Stop village when they were jolted awake by the sound of shattering glass.
Ledwaba said the accused, Abram Tobani Makubela, broke through the window and burst into the bedroom, demanding money from the terrified 64-year-old woman and her boyfriend.
“The accused demanded money and told the victim that he saw her buying liquor at a local tavern. She told him that the money was under a tablecloth, and he searched for it and found an axe under the bed.”
Ledwaba said that the accused instructed the 64-year-old victim’s boyfriend to cover his face with a pillow before proceeding to rape her. After committing the brutal act, the accused ransacked the room, took R200 in cash, and then moved to another house within the same yard, where he stole a handbag containing R1 500 before fleeing the scene on foot.
A rape case was registered at the local police station and transferred to the Groblersdal Family Violence, Child Protection, and Sexual Offenses (FCS) Unit for further investigation. Following a thorough inquiry, Makubela was arrested on April 20, 2024, at the Groblersdal policing precinct.
Ledwaba said Makubela was conclusively linked to the brutal crime through DNA analysis while he was out on bail.
After multiple court appearances, he was found guilty of rape, housebreaking with intent to rob, and robbery with aggravating circumstances — offences committed in violation of Section 3 of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act 32 of 2007.
Makubela was handed a life sentence for the brutal rape along with an additional 15 years for housebreaking and robbery. The Groblersdal Regional Court ruled that the sentences would run concurrently and declared him unfit to possess a firearm, ensuring he is permanently removed from society.
Meanwhile, Provincial Commissioner of Limpopo Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe applauded Constable Tebatso Henry Mphahlele for ensuring that the accused is permanently removed from society for committing heinous acts of this nature.
The Star
masabata.mkwananzi@inl.co.za