The DPP further commended advocate Ratshibvumo and investigating officer, Sergeant Mokgadi Ishmael Matjeka from Limpopo Serial and Electronic Crime Investigation Unit for their diligent work.
The Limpopo Polokwane High Court has sentenced Ronny Maluleke (36) from Ritavi village, to 98 years direct imprisonment for charges including 19 counts of rape, two counts of housebreaking with intent to rape, and 12 counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances.
Maluleke pleaded guilty in terms of Section 112 (2) of the Criminal Procedure Act. In his statement, he stated that between 2015 and 2021 he had entered the victim’s homesteads during the night where he threatened, robbed the victims before raping them.
He had also created a Facebook account that he used to lure victims who travelled from Johannesburg, Alexandra, Mokopane, Eastern Cape and Qwaqwa under the pretence that he had secured security and domestic jobs for them.
Upon their arrival at Tzaneen, he would threaten them with a knife and a firearm before raping them. He would then rob them of belongings such as money, cellphones and other valuables. He was later arrested at a hospital after one of the victims shot him on the leg with a firearm that he used to threaten her.
In aggravation of sentence, state advocate Muneiwa Ratshibvumo submitted that the Maluleke took advantage of the vulnerable women who were desperate to find employment and violated them sexually.
Further that he robbed the victims of their valuables. Furthermore, he ruined their lives, and violated their dignity.
She concluded by submitting that the accused stripped away the trust the victims had in men, and they suffered emotionally and are devastated about the ordeal.
In sentencing remarks, Acting Judge Ephraim Makgoba said that the Makgoba committed these offences over a long period of time and the prescribed life imprisonment sentence would be a lenient sentence due to the multiplicity of the offences.
He concluded by saying that the accused capitalised on the high rate of unemployment to lure the victims to Tzaneen and further used violence in the form of firearm and a knife when committing these offences. AJ Makgoba sentence the accused to an effective sentence of 98 years imprisonment.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) welcomes the sentence, the Director of Public Prosecutions, Advocate. Ivy Thenga hopes that the sentence imposed will deter other perpetrators from committing similar offence and she still stands firm against Gender-Based violence.