POTCHEFSTROOM: The Provincial Commissioner of North West, Lieutenant General Sello Kwena has welcomed the hefty sentence handed down to Tshepo Ben Moloi (42) by the Bafokeng Regional Court in Tlhabane on Monday, 29 November 2021.

Moloi’s sentencing emanates from a spree of rapes he committed between 2010 and 2013, in and around Masosobane area in Phokeng. It was reported that Moloi of Lenatong Section, accosted women leaving taverns or going home after visiting friends late at night or in early hours of the morning. He would grab and force his victims into the bushes, then rape them at gunpoint and rob them of their valuables. The victims, whose ages range from 15 to 30, would as a result be left stranded in the bushes.

The accused commenced with his evil deeds in 2010 by raping his first victim a day after Christmas. The second victim, a 15-year-old teenager then, was raped a year later on a New Year’s day in 2011, while the third victim, who pretended to be pregnant at the time of the ordeal, was raped in the early hours of the morning on 21 January 2011. The fourth victim, a 30-year-old female was raped on Friday, 06 January 2012 at about 21:10 after the accused dragged her into the secluded area in Zeerust and raped her.

On Thursday, 29 August 2013, the accused raped a 22-year-old woman at about 22:15. It was reported that the victim was in the company of her boyfriend who left her and went back shortly before she reached her place of residence. However, the accused prowled on the victim near the gate and threatened her. Consequently, he dragged her to the nearby bushes where he raped her.

The accused was eventually traced and arrested, but escaped shortly before appearing in Court on 29 December 2013. He was re-arrested two days later at a plot in Kroondal after Police received a tip-off. Moloi who has been in detention since his re-arrest, was found guilty on 10 out of 13 charges after being positively linked to the incidents trough DNA.

The accused was sentenced as follows:

Count 1: Rape – 10 years imprisonment;

Count 2: Robbery – 15 years imprisonment;

Count 3: Robbery – 15 years imprisonment;

Count 4: Rape –  20 years imprisonment;

Count 5: Robbery – 15 years imprisonment;

Count 6: Robbery – 20 years imprisonment;

Count 10: Rape – 10 years imprisonment;

Count 11: Rape – 10 years imprisonment;

Count 12: Robbery – 03 years imprisonment;

Count 13: Escape from lawful custody – 04 years imprisonment

The court ordered that count 1, 2 and 3 imposed will run concurrently, count 4 & 5 will also run concurrently and counts 11 to 13 will also run concurrently. The accused was also declared unfit to possess a firearm in terms of Section 103 of the Firearms Control Act, 2000 (Act No. 60 of 2000).

The Provincial Commissioner of North West, Lieutenant General Sello Kwena lauded the investigating Officer, Detective Sergeant Obakeng Rasego of the Rustenburg Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) unit and all those involved, including the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) for securing yet another good conviction during the period of 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children. He reiterated that the police will work tirelessly to ensure that perpetrators of Gender-Based Violence are brought to book.

Source: South African Police Service