27/01/2024
A 40 YEAR-OLD BOLOBEDU RA**ST SENTENCED TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT BY TZANEEN REGIONAL COURT
TZANEEN- A 40-year-old Khutso Ramatseba was convicted and handed an appropriate sentence of a life imprisonment and a further ten years jail term at a Regional Court held in Tzaneen on Thursday 25 January 2024 for two counts of r**e.
The court heard that on Saturday 08 March 2014 at about 23:00 the victim 18 years old female at the time of the commission of the crime was walking on the street at Maphauwe village from a liquor store with her two friends suddenly a car stopped next to them and the driver, Khutso grabbed the victim forced her into the car and drove away with her to his home at Mamakata village.
According to the information received from police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba, it is reported that upon arrival at Khutso's house, Khutso threatened the victim with a knife if she could make noises. He then r**ed her in his house and took the victim out from the house walking her back and along the way he repeatedly r**ed her in the bushes and let her go threatening to kill her if she reported the r**e.
The court further heard that the accused Khutso Ramatseba(40) attacked a female victim aged 18 years old during the time of the incident on Saturday 29 March 2014 at about 18:20 while she was walking from church near Molototsi river to home. The hearef that the victim was pelted with a beer bottle as a result she fell down.
The accused grabbed the victim and dragged her into the bushes, then r**ed her and afterward kicked her and fled the scene on foot.
The two separate incidents were reported to Bolobedu Police Station, and the dockets were transferred to Tzaneen Family Violence Child Protection and Sexual Offenses Unit for investigations.
Both the cases were assigned to Detective Sergeant Glenda Mathebula, and she successfully traced and arrested the suspect following a massive manhunt conducted.
Through a lengthy process of investigations the accused was successfully linked to both crime scenes through DNA results subsequently he was found guilty for r**e on two counts and sentenced to a lifetime jail term for count one and another ten years imprisonment for count two. The court ordered that two sentences to be served separately one after another term.
The court ordered that the particulars of the accused be included in the National Register of the sexual offenders.
