The North West Provincial Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Sello Kwena, welcomed the 20-years direct imprisonment handed down to Sonnyboy Ramela (42) by the Bafokeng Regional Court, on Wednesday, 3 November 2022, for rape and murder. The convict was also declared unfit to possess a firearm in terms of the Firearms Control Act, 2000 (Act No. 60 of 2000).
Evidence was led that Ramela (42) was seen leaving a local tavern in Chaneng Village outside Phokeng in the company of the victim and her 18-year old friend on Tuesday, 24 December 2019. He then went to his place where he raped the pair. Subsequent to the incident, a case of rape was opened for investigation. The suspect evaded the arrest until he met the 16-year-old victim again at the same tavern on Tuesday, 31 December 2019. They left the tavern and were both seen entering the nearby bushes between midnight and 01:00 on New Year’s Day. Since then, the victim was never seen again and her parents opened a case of kidnapping on Friday, 3 January 2020. At that point, the suspect was already in detention after being arrested on Wednesday, 1 January 2020, through information received from members of the community, for the initial rape he committed on Tuesday, 24 December 2019.
Further investigation into the matter led to the discovery of the 16-year-old victim’s decomposed body in the bushes at about on Sunday, 5 January 2020, at Chaneng village. He was found guilty on Thursday, 27 October 2022. The State Prosecutor, Mr Zola Mpayipheli, placed it on record that Ramela do have previous convictions of attempted murder and was sentenced to 6 years direct imprisonment. Further that he has a previous conviction of rape committed in 2019 and was sentenced to ten years direct imprisonment.
The North West Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Sello Kwena commended the Investigating Officer, Captain Dipotso Montsho and the Prosecutor; Mr Mpayipheli, as well as other role players for their team work that resulted in the sentence.
Source: South African Police Service