File picture
THE THOHOYANDOU High Court in Limpopo has sentenced a serial rapist to 11 life terms plus 15 years.
The court convicted 39-year-old Given Maceke, of Nyavani Village in the Collins Chabane Municipality, of 11 counts of rape and eight counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances.
According to the regional spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi, Maceke committed the crimes from July 10, 2013 to June 25, 2016.
Maceke hunted and terrorised his victims in the Green Farm, Nghezimani, Xigalo, Tshikonelo, Roodhuis and Nyavani villages.
Malabi-Dzhangi said Maceke and another man would be armed with knives and threaten the victims before raping them.
“In some instances, the accused and another person would break in and enter the homestead of the victims, armed with dangerous objects, and attack the victims on their way to neighbouring villages. The victims could not identify their assailants.
“During the trial, the accused pleaded guilty to all 19 counts, because the evidence of the State was overwhelming,” Malabi-Dzhangi said.
Maceke was also linked to crime scenes through DNA in 10 case dockets before the court.
During sentencing procedures, State prosecutor Nnyambeni Robert Nekhambele told the court that Maceke had a previous conviction of rape.
He said the victims were raped by more than one person and some of the victims in the matter were under the age of 16 at the time the crimes were committed.
Nekhambele further argued that Maceke was not remorseful in any way and asked the court to permanently remove him from society.
Deputy Judge President Masaro Semenya said the attacks were calculated and premeditated.
She said there were no substantial and compelling circumstances justifying the imposition of lesser sentences than that prescribed by the law.
Semenya sentenced Maceke to 11 life terms for the rapes and 15 years imprisonment on each of the eight counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances.
She ordered that the sentences run concurrently.
“The violence against women and children cannot be tolerated and perpetrators of these crimes should be removed from our society,” said Limpopo Director of Public Prosecutions Ivy Thenga.