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South African Man Sentenced To Life In Prison For Raping 90-Year-Old
The Groblersdal Regional Court in Limpopo, South Africa, sentenced a 35-year-old man to life in prison after convicting him of raping and abusing a 90-year-old woman.
The court heard that on July 31, 2022, Ephraim Matshela Madiba broke into the old woman’s residence in Elandskraal and discovered a machete in her bedroom.
Madiba assaulted the elderly woman with a machete before raping her, according to Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Regional Spokesperson for the Limpopo Division, in a statement issued on Wednesday, February 28, 2024.
He then fled the scene with the aforementioned machete.
Colonel Malesela Ledwaba, the Limpopo provincial police spokeswoman, stated that the police were informed to the occurrence and opened complaints of rape and assault with intent to cause grievous bodily damage.
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The nonagenarian victim was sent to a nearby hospital for medical care.
“The rape case was transferred to Mokopane family violence, child protection and sexual offences unit and assigned to Sergeant Lesetja Langa for further investigation,” said Ledwaba.
At the time, authorities tracked down Madiba and arrested him as a suspect in the horrible crime.
“Police also recovered the panga with blood stains, which was used to assault the victim,” said Ledwaba.
The Groblersdal Regional Court sentenced Madiba to life in prison for rape and an extra 24 months in prison for assault with intent to cause grievous bodily damage.
The sentences will be served concurrently.
Meanwhile, Limpopo police commissioner Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe praised the investigating officer and his team after Madiba received a severe sentence.
“We welcome the life sentence and we are glad that justice was finally served,” said Hadebe.
A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.
Nnamdi Okoli
