27-year-old Jeffery Sewape from Mohlakong village in Bolobedu, Limpopo was sentenced to three life sentences for raping three teenage girls.
This sentence was handed out by the Tzaneen Regional Court.
South African Police Service (SAPS) spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Thakeng, said the three victims of rape were aged 13 to 17.
"The court heard that, on the August 28, 2020, a 13-year-old victim was sleeping alone in a house at Mandela Park while her parents went to attend a funeral night vigil around Bolobedu. It was at about 3am when the victim was awoken up by an unknown man who threatened her with a knife and raped her," said Thakeng.
She escaped and fled to her neighbours' house. He chased her and flung stones at the neighbour's house.
The incident was reported to the police, and the case was moved to the Tzaneen Family Violence Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit (FCS), where Warrant Officer Glenda Mathebula was assigned to investigate.
The man was caught as a result of her diligent investigations, and DNA testing found linkages to a subsequent Bolobedu rape case, which Sergeant Vukeya was investigating.
Sewape was linked to another rape case that occurred on February 16, 2016, when the victim was on her way to church in Bolobedu when she saw the man, who threatened her with a knife before taking her to the adjacent woods and raping her.
In addition, on October 20, 2012, at around 9pm, a 17-year-old victim was walking with her companion from a tavern when she was threatened with a knife by the Sewape, who pulled her to the bushes and raped her.
Sewape was linked in this occurrence and charged as a result. Sergeant Vukeya from Tzaneen FCS was tasked to handle the matter.
"In a separate incident, on the November 18, 2020, the accused stabbed a 43-year-old man on his head, face and upper body with a knife and further hit him with a crate of beer at the local tavern and left him unconscious."
Sewape was given three life sentences for the rapes. He was also sentenced to four years of a whole suspended sentence Assault with Grievous Bodily Harm.
IOL