MOKOPANE POLICE SECURE A LIFE TERM IMPRISONMENT TO A 23- YEAR-OLD MALE FOR RAPE AND ROBBERY OF 84 YEARS OLD CITIZEN
POLOKWANE: The Provincial Commissioner of South African Police Service in Limpopo Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe has a welcomed the lengthy jail term sentencing meted out to a 23 years old man by the Regional Court in Mahwelereng and convictions for robbery and rape charges.
On Tuesday 20 June 2023, the Regional Court in Mahwelereng handed a very long term sentence to a 23 year-old Jackson Manamela for offences that included robbery, rape and house breaking with intention to steal and robbery.
The Court heared that the accused found 84 years old woman cooking outside her shack on 9 May 2022 at Mellenium village under Mahwelereng policing precinct outside Mokopane. He unexpectedly attacked and stabbed an elderly victim with a pair of scissors on the forehead and dragged her into the shack.
The victim was robbed R70 in cash and Social Grant Card before being raped by the accused who later fled the scene.
Afterwards, the victim went to the neighbor’s house and informed them about the ordeal and Police were immediately summoned to the scene.
A robbery and rape cases were immediately opened and the suspect was subsequently apprehended after just three days on 12 May 2022.
The case was transferred to Mokopane Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit (FCS) for further investigations and Sergeant Ramokone Tinah Matsimbi was assigned to the matter.
Through her dedication and committment, she ensured that Jackson Manamela was never granted bail after it was discovered that he was out on bail for housebreaking with the intention to steal and committ robbery on 02 December 2019 committed against the same 84 year-old victim.
The two cases were combined and the accused was found guilty on the following counts of offences:
- Count 1 – Robbery – 03 year imprisonment.
- Count 2 – Rape – Life imprisonment.
- Count 3 – Housebreaking with the intention to rob and committ robbery – 15 year imprisonment.
All the sentences will run concurrently and the accused was also declared unfit to possess a firearm.
