Limpopo rapist Mohlala Kgatla was handed a life sentence when he appeared before the Tzaneen regional court on Wednesday.
The 31-year-old was also sentenced to 15 years in jail for robbery with aggravating circumstances and four years for housebreaking with intent to commit an offence. The sentences will run concurrently with life imprisonment.
Limpopo police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba said Kgatla’s conviction and subsequent sentencing emanate from an incident on December 7 2019 when the accused committed housebreaking, robbery and raped an 83-year-old woman at Phaphadi village.
“The victim was sleeping alone in the bedroom when the accused forcefully opened a window and gained entry into the house,” said Ledwaba.
“According to a police report, Kgatla went straight to her bedroom and started to strangle the victim and subsequently raped her.”
Ledwaba said after the ordeal, the accused demanded money from the victim while threatening to kill her with a hammer if she does not give him the money.
The elderly woman took out a wallet containing R600 and gave it to Kgatla before he fled the crime scene.
“The fortunate thing is that the victim managed to identify the suspect as Mohlala Elvis Kgatla, who was 27 years old during the commission of the crime. She immediately went to her neighbour to inform them about the incident and the matter was reported to the Bolobedu police station.”
Police added that at the time, Kgatla managed to evade arrest by leaving the village only to return at the beginning of April 2021. Police were immediately notified about his location and he was traced and arrested on April 24 2021.
The matter was transferred to the Tzaneen SAPS family violence, child protection and sexual offences and assigned to Sergeant Glenda Mathebula for further investigations, who successfully managed to oppose bail.
Lieutenant-General Thembi Hadebe, provincial police commissioner in Limpopo, applauded Mathebula for her work which resulted in the court outcome.
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