The High Court of South Africa North West Division sitting at the Klerksdorp Regional Court, sentenced Johannes Ontsheketse Tshabile (43) to 11 life terms on rape charges. Tshabile also got a cumulative 363 years for other serious charges that include attempted murder, theft, robbery with aggravating circumstances, robbery, attempted robbery, assault, assault with intent to commit grievous bodily harm, attempt to commit a sexual offence and sexual assault.
HIS REIGN OF TERROR
NPA regional spokesperson Henry Mamothame said Tshabile, who was on the list of the most wanted criminals in North West, pleaded not guilty to all 65 charges which the court found him guilty of. "Tshabile's conviction emanates from incidents that took place in Wolmaransstad in the district of Maquassi between December 2012 and May 2018, wherein he 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," Mamothame said. He added that in some instances Tshabile would strangle, stab with a knife, and assault his victims with bricks and other objects before robbing and raping them. He would in some instances, accost couples and attack the male counterparts and assault them before robbing and raping their partners after they had fled the scene. Amongst his victims, were a 15-year-old girl and a 65-year-old elderly woman. "It also emerged in court that in some incidents, he was accompanied by an unknown accomplice who also committed similar offences with him. He was linked to the offences through DNA specimens," he said.
SENTENCED TO LIFE TERMS
Mamothame said that Tshabile was arrested in 2019 following an intensive police investigation and the court denied him bail. "He also managed to escape from the Wolmaransstad police station, aided by a police officer. He was later re-arrested and the police officer was dismissed from duty and criminally charged. The matter is still pending in court," he added. In aggravation of the 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 in the hands of Tshabile. "She further urged the court to consider the victim impact statements, wherein the victims describe their ordeal and the trauma. They said they continue to suffer in their day-to-day lives, owing to the rape and assault incidents," he said. Judge Tebogo Djadje agreed with the state and remarked on the responsibility the court has in protecting society against such perpetrators, particularly after they lived in fear for almost six years. "Judge Djadje further described Tshabile as remorseless and having no regard for women and children," he said.
