Convicted rapist December Mdakane has been sentenced to eight years of direct imprisonment by the Vrede Regional Court in the Free State for raping a woman at a local graveyard in October.
Free State police spokesperson W/O Mmako Mophiring said the Vrede Regional Court, together with the Vrede Family, Child Protection, and Sexual Offences Unit, sentenced the accused, Mdakane, 30, from Zamani near Memel to eight years of direct imprisonment on Wednesday.
Mophiring stated that Mdakane was found guilty of the rape.
Mophiring said the rape incident happened on October 28 2023 at a graveyard in Zamani near Memel, Free State.
Advances made at a tavern
“On 28 October 2023 at about 22:00, the woman from Zamani, aged 22, was at a local tavern, busy drinking alcohol. She stood up to buy some beers at the counter, when someone touched her shoulder, and when she looked back, she noticed that it was December Mdakane who had touched her.
Mdakane requested to talk with her outside, and she agreed, and they both went outside to talk. They climbed into Mdakane’s vehicle, where they continued the conversation.
However, suddenly, Mdakane drove off with a vehicle while the victim was inside. Mdakane stopped at the graveyard, where he raped her.
“After raping her, he drove back and dropped her off at the very same tavern. She immediately went to report the matter to the police,” said Mophiring.
Meanwhile, this month, Grobersdal police launched an investigation after the body of a man, 60, was stabbed near Acquaville cemetery.
In March, the police in Thabong probed the murder of an unknown woman who was found murdered near Phumlani Cemetry.
In February, the police in Makapanstad arrested seven suspects for the alleged murder of Solomon Moopane, 32. Moopane’s decomposed body was found buried in a shallow grave on top of another grave in the community cemetery.
