| 2024/10/26 |
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Media Statement POLOKWANE – The Mahwelereng Regional Court has sentenced Duncan Mathibela, aged 38, to ten years’ direct imprisonment after he was found guilty of raping a 17-year-old girl. Mathibela made numerous court appearances before he was convicted and sentenced on Thursday 24 October 2024. The Court heard that on Friday 11 September 2020 at about 17:00, the victim, aged 17 at the time of incident, was walking to her residence after she accompanied her friend who visited her. While walking along the street at Zone (1) Mahwelereng, she met an unknown male who threatened her with a firearm and robbed her of a cellphone before fleeing the scene on foot. While the victim was at the scene, a maxi-taxi motor vehicle stopped and dropped off a 38-year-old male accused who asked the victim what happened to her. The victim related the incident that she was robbed of a cellphone at gunpoint and the accused told her to come with him to his residence and promised to call another maxi-taxi motor vehicle to take her home because the suspect might return to harm her. The duo walked to the accused’s residence, two streets away from the scene where upon arrival, the accused repeatedly raped the 17-year-old girl until the next day on Saturday 12 September 2020 at about 06:30. The accused then gave the victim money and escorted her to catch a local minibus to her residence at Zone Two (02) Mahwelereng township The victim left with the minibus and reported the rape ordeal to her mother on arrival at home. A rape case was immediately reported at Mahwelereng police station and that led to the accused being traced and apprehended the same day while at his residence in Zone One (01). Sergeant Tina Matsimbi attached to Mokopane Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offenses Unit (FCS) was assigned to investigate the case. The accused was later granted R2000.00 bail on 15 November 2022. Sergeant Matsimbi has through her meticulous investigation skills, left no stone unturned in ensuring that justice is served to the vulnerable and defenceless victim who believed that the accused was intended to protect and assist her, instead he took advantage of vulnerability and decided to do heinous acts to the victim. The accused was given a ten years’ direct imprisonment for raping a 17-year-old victim. The Provincial Commissioner of police in Limpopo, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe, has welcomed the court verdict by Mahwelereng Regional Court and further applauded the Investigating team for their investigation which led to this verdict. Ends
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