THE Fezile Dabi district commissioner in Sasolburg, Major-General Moses Makhubo, has welcomed the hefty sentence given to Thabo Maseko (30) by the Bloemfontein High Court on Wednesday, 19 April.
This is after Maseko was arrested and charged with five counts of rape involving women between the ages of 27 and 60 years old around Sasolburg, Free State.
His reign of terror started in 2014 when he broke into the victims' houses, surprised them while they were asleep, and raped them.
His three other cases were in 2017, where the same modus operandi was used when he attacked and raped three more women.
In 2021, the suspect and his friend grabbed a woman while she was walking in the street at night and took turns raping her. The victim opened a case at the Zamdela cop shop in Sasolburg.
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Investigating officer Warrant Officer Sophy Kgaeyane of Sasolburg serial rapist electronic crime investigation traced and arrested Maseko in June 2022, and he was kept in jail until being sentenced as follows:
- On Count 1 (housebreaking with intent to rape and rape involving inflicting grievous bodily harm), the accused was sentenced to life imprisonment.
- On Count 2 (assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm), the accused was sentenced to three years imprisonment.
- On Count 3 (rape), the accused was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment.
- On Count 4 (housebreaking with the intent to rape), the accused was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment.
- On Count 5 (rape), the accused was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment.
- On Count 6 (rape), the accused was sentenced to life imprisonment.
Makhubo applauded Kganyane, the prosecution team, and the judiciary for all the hard work that led to the hefty sentence.
