Johannesburg – A serial rapist was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Moretele Regional Court today.
Benjamin Bapela was found guilty on five counts of rape .
In 2013, the 30 year old raped a 26-year-old woman who was walking from a tavern in Temba in the early hours of the morning.
Bapela grabbed and pulled her into the bushes nearby and raped her.
In 2016, he raped an 18-year old woman in Temba, at a tavern in the early hours of the morning.
She allegedly went outside to answer her phone when Bapela emerged from behind, throttled her and pulled her to the fence and raped her.
In a separate incident in 2016 at a place called Suurman, Bapela raped a 21 year old woman. She was walking from her boyfriend’s home when he confronted and assaulted her before dragging her into the nearby bushes and raped her.
He was also charged for raping a 21-year-old, who was sleeping in a shack with her two-year-old child when she heard someone in the house.
Bapela threatened her and her child with a knife. He then raped her and fled the scene.
A pregnant and asthmatic 22-year old, was also his victim in 2016 in Sekampaneng. He was allegedly in the company of an unknown man, who also allegedly raped the girl.
Henry Mamothame, Spokesperson for the Department of Public Prosecutions in the North West, said in aggravation of a maximum sentence, the state prosecutor, Muriel Masilana urged the court to consider the Victim Impact Statements as they demonstrate the impact theses offences had in their lives.
“The Acting Director of Public Prosecutions in the North West, Advocate Rachel Makhari-Sekhaolelo welcomed the conviction and hailed it a success for the criminal justice system in demonstrating its seriousness in dealing with issues of gender based violence and femicide,” said Mamothame in a statement.
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