Man handed down life imprisonment for rape
ZAAIPLAAS – The Groblersdal Regional Court handed down a life term imprisonment to 25 year-old Abram Tobani Makubela for rape on Tuesday.
Makubela was further sentenced to an additional 15 years sentence for house breaking and robbery with aggravating circumstances.
The court ordered that the sentences run concurrently and Makubela be declared unfit to possess a firearm.
The court heard that on 4 December 2023 at about 00:30, the 64 year-old victim was at her home in Donkey-Stop Village under the Zaaiplaas policing area.
The victim was sleeping with her boyfriend when she heard a window breaking and the convict suddenly entered her bedroom.
The court further heard that Makubela 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 table cloth and he searched for it and also found an axe under the bed.
The accused instructed the boyfriend to cover his face with a pillow while he raped the 64 year-old woman. Following the ordeal, the accused took an amount of R200 and they went to another house inside the yard where he also took a handbag with R1500 in cash. He immediately fled the scene.
Colonel Malesela Ledwaba, Limpopo Provincial Police spokesperson, said afterwards, a rape case was opened at the local South African Police Service (SAPS) station and was immediately transferred to the Groblersdal Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit.
Constable Tebatso Henry Mphahlele was assigned to the case for further investigation. Makubela was arrested on 20 April within the Groblersdal policing precinct.
Mphahlele managed to positively link Makubela through DNA while out on bail. Makubela had numerous court appearances until he was found guilty of rape, housebreaking and robbery with aggravating circumstances.
The Provincial Commissioner of SAPS in Limpopo, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe, applauded the investigating officer, Constable Mphahlele for ensuring that the accused is permanently removed from the society for his heinous acts.
