Agreement Mkhari 
The Limpopo Division of High Court In Polokwane has, on Friday, 11 October 2024 sentenced a 28-year-old man, Phelane Mathata Gift, to an effective 70 (seventy years) imprisonment for cases of rape, robbery with aggravating circumstances and kidnapping, which occurred during the year 2020 and 2021.
The court trial heard that the accused raped 08 females aged between 17 and 35 by then. This is after he met some of them through a (Facebook) social platform. The similar method (modus operandi) he applied by contacting the victims telephonically and invited them for a job interview at the mines in Burgesfort. Others he would randomly meet them on the streets and threaten them with knife raping them. All the victims were raped in the bushes.
On 04 April 2020, the victim aged 17 was walking on the streets going home in the afternoon when she came across two unknown men driving in a red motor vehicle. They stopped the vehicle, one of them alighted and then threatened the victim with a knife while forcing her to board the vehicle. One of the males dragged her out of the vehicle to the bushes at Ga-Mphethi village. He raped her, assaulted her in the process, and thereafter robbed her of her belongings.
She was instructed to run away without looking back. The victim ran to a nearby household, where she informed them about the ordeal. Her mother was called to the said household, and the matter was reported to the police.
Another victim aged 34 then, received a call from the accused, inviting her for a job interview at one of the mines in Burgersfort. On 05 July 2021, in the morning, the victim arrived at the said mine, and the security guard did not know the accused as mentioned by the victim.
The victim contacted him (the accused), and he further directed her to his location around Ga-Selala village. Upon her arrival, they walked together from the tar-road and deviated to a gravel walk path. He then walked behind her, where he suddenly produced a knife. He threatened her, ordered her to undress, and ultimately raped her. After the rape he robbed her of a cellphone and wallet containing money.
A case was also reported to the police. These two cases and 06 other cases were assigned to Detective Sergeant Jacob Letsatsi Mojalefa attached to the Family Violence, Child Protection, and Sexual offenses (FCS) Unit in Burgesfort for further investigations.
Through his meticulous investigations, the accused was traced, positively linked to these cases, and subsequently arrested.
The accused, Phelane Mathata Gift, was found guilty and sentenced to an effective 70 (seventy years) imprisonment as follows:
*Count 1, rape: 10 years imprisonment
Count 2, robbery: 5 years imprisonment
Count 3, kidnapping: 05 years imprisonment, count 2 and 3 will run concurrently with count 1.
*Count 4, rape: 10 years imprisonment
Count 5, robbery: 05 years imprisonment
Count 6, kidnapping: 05 years imprisonment, count 5 and 6 will run concurrently with count 4.
*Count 7, rape: 10 years imprisonment
Count 8, robbery: 05 years imprisonment, count 8 will run concurrently with count 7.
*Count 9, rape: 10 years imprisonment
Count 10, robbery: 05 years imprisonment, count 10 will run concurrently with 9.
*Count 11, rape: 10 years imprisonment
Count 12, robbery: 05 years imprisonment, count 12 will run concurrently with 11.
*Count 15, rape: 10 years imprisonment
Count 16, robbery: 05 years imprisonment, count 16 will run concurrently with 15.
*Count 17, kidnapping: 05 years imprisonment
Count 18, rape: 10 years imprisonment.
Count 17 will run concurrently with count 18.
Effective 70 years imprisonment. Declared unfit to possess firearm.
The Provincial Commissioner of the South African Police Service in Limpopo Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe has welcomed the conviction and sentencing. She also applauded the investigating officer and everyone involved in investigation of these cases until court finally sentenced the accused and a justice served to the victims and their families.
