Groblersdal: The Groblersdal Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit has achieved significant rape convictions against a 49-year-old male, Patrick Makoko, at the Siyabuswa Mdutjana Regional Court.

According to South African Police Service, on Friday, 28 June 2013, a 56-year-old woman was accosted on her way to a church in Waalkraal village under the Dennilton policing area. The unknown male, later identified as Patrick Makoko, demanded money and a cellphone from the victim. When she could not provide the items, she was threatened with a sharp object and subsequently raped before the perpetrator fled the scene.

Makoko’s criminal activities continued, as evidenced by an incident on Sunday, 27 November 2022, when he broke into the home of an 82-year-old woman in Kgobokoane village. Wearing a balaclava and armed with a sharp object, he demanded money from the elderly victim. After obtaining cash from her wardrobe, he raped her and escaped through a window.

Forensic DNA analysis played a crucial role in identifying and apprehending Makoko. The Groblersdal Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offenses Unit, led by Warrant Officer Victoria Phala, conducted thorough investigations that culminated in Makoko’s convictions.

Warrant Officer Phala’s dedication ensured that Makoko received 18 years of direct imprisonment for the attack on the 56-year-old woman, and a life term for the rape of the elderly victim. The Provincial Commissioner of Police in Limpopo, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe, praised the sentence, emphasizing its role as a deterrent against crimes targeting women and vulnerable individuals.