Rikhotso Village Serial Rapist Sentenced To Life Imprisonment

A 29-year-old serial rapist was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Ritavi magistrate court.

It is alleged that on 28 October 2018 at about 00:30 when the sentenced, Prince Sekgobela was 24 years old when he broke into a house, threatened with a knife and raped a 16-year-old girl in front of her 10-year-old brother and a 02-year-old sibling at Rikhotso village N’wamitwa.

A case of rape was opened and assigned to Tzaneen FCS detective sergeant Mthombeni Bongani who proceeded with an intense investigation with a hawk’s eye.

The intense investigation led to the arrest of the suspect on 30 October 2018

On further profiling of the suspect, two more rape cases of minors committed in the Mokwakwaila policing area which were provisionally withdrawn were placed back on the court roll and he underwent different trials at Tzaneen and Ritavi magistrate court.

The investigation team successfully opposed bail on each bail hearing up until the sentencing on all three cases.

He was sentenced to life imprisonment and 10 years by the Tzaneen magistrate court for the two Mokwakwaila rape cases.

“This hefty sentence was applauded by the saps management as this would serve as a deterrent to would-be offenders,” said Sergeant Maurice Nkwashu the Tzaneen SAPS spokesperson.