Lentswe, Kanana - A serial rapist received a long enough sentence to keep him in jail until he is very old. Two life terms and additional 48 years imprisonment were handed down to Elias Thejane (39) by the Klerksdorp Sexual Offences Regional Court, for raping three women in Kanana between December 2012 and October 2014.
Colonel Adéle Myburgh, police spokesperson, said in the first incident, he met the then 19 year-old woman in the street, in December 2012, and threatened her with a knife. He robbed her of her cellphone before raping her. He then fled.
“In the second incident on September 1, 2014, two women, then aged 15 and 19, were on their way to X-Section when confronted by four unknown males armed with pangas near the taxi rank. The accused caught the victims and dragged them to a house where two of the men including Thejane, raped them. The suspects later attempted to convince the women to accompany them to the nearby tavern, but failed. The women stayed in the house and managed to escape the next day.”
In the third incident at around 04:00 on October 19 that same year, Thejane forcefully entered a house and found three women inside. He forced one of the women to tie an elderly woman with shoelaces. He went on to rob the second woman of her money and cell phone and raped the third one. Thejane left the place after taking some groceries.
Following a lengthy an extensive investigation by Provincial Serial and Electronic Crime Investigation (SECI) unit, the convict was arrested on October 9 2015. Despite being released on bail, he was rearrested and sentenced on a separate case of burglary and two counts of rape in Bothaville. The accused was sentenced as follows:
Count 1: Robbery with aggravating circumstances - eight years imprisonment
Count 2: Rape - ten years imprisonment
Count 3: Rape - Life imprisonment
Count 4: Rape - Life imprisonment
Count 5: Housebreaking - Five years imprisonment
Count 6: Sexual Assault - six years imprisonment
Count 7: Robbery - three years imprisonment
Count 8: Robbery - three years imprisonment
Count 9: Robbery - three years imprisonment
Count 10: 2 cases of Rape - ten years imprisonment
Major General (Dr) Naidoo commended the Investigating Officer, Sgt Omphemetse Babuile of Provincial SECI, and the Prosecutor, Adv Wilma Cordier, and all other role players for their collaborative efforts that led to securing of the sentence, which was imposed on the accused a few days before the commencement of 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children.
