Klerksdorp – The High Court of South Africa; North West Division, sitting at the Klerksdorp Regional Court, has sentenced 43-year-old Johannes Ontsheketse Tshabile to 11 life terms for several rapes and a cumulative 363 years for other serious crimes.
The other crimes include attempted murder, theft, robbery with aggravating circumstances, assault with intent to commit grievous bodily harm, and sexual assault.
Tshabile, who was on the list of the most wanted criminals in the North West, pleaded not guilty to all 65 charges he was convicted of. National Prosecuting Authority North West spokesperson, Henry Mamothame, on Thursday, said Tshabile’s conviction emanated from incidents that took place in Wolmaransstad in the district of Maquassi between December 2012 and May 2018.
The court found that the accused accosted unsuspecting women on the streets.
He would then drag them to nearby fields, threaten them with a knife, rob them of their belongings, and rape them before fleeing the scene.
In some instances, Tshabile choked his victims, stabbed them with a knife, and assaulted them with bricks and other objects before raping and robbing them.
In other instances, Tshabile accosted couples. He would rob and assault the male.
Once the man fled, the accused robbed and raped the female.
Tshabile’s victims included a 15-year-old girl and a 65-year-old woman.
It also emerged in court that during some of the attacks, Tshabile had an accomplice, who was yet to be identified.
Tshabile was arrested in 2019 and has since been positively linked to the offences through DNA evidence.
When the accused was denied bail, he escaped from the Wolmaransstad Police Station, aided by a police officer.
Tshabile was, however, rearrested.
The police officer who aided his escape has since been fired and criminally charged.
The matter is still pending in court.
On Thursday, Tshabile faced the consequences of his actions.
In aggravation of Tshabile’s sentence, Advocate Riekie Krause, urged the court not to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence of life imprisonment, considering the emotional, physical, and psychological trauma suffered by the victims.
Advocate Krause further urged the court to consider the Victim Impact Statements, wherein the victims describe their ordeal and the trauma they continue to suffer in their day-to-day lives, owing to the rape and assault incidents.
Judge Tebogo Djadje, agreed with the state and remarked on the responsibility the court has in protecting society against such perpetrators.
She further described Tshabile as remorseless and having no regard for women and children.
The Director of Public Prosecutions in the North West, Dr. Rachel Makhari, together with the North West Provincial Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Sello Kwena, lauded the prosecutor, Sergeant Pule Morake from the South African Police Service for ensuring that the victims were afforded the justice they deserve.
They further commended the role played by the Sexual Offences and Community Affairs for discharging their mandate of prioritising sexual offences cases and the Thuthuzela Care Center for providing the necessary support to the victims in preparation for trial.
