Harsh sentence for rapist who threatened to cut up his victim

MBOMBELA – A serial rapist who threatened to cut one of his victim’s wrists and vagina, has been sentenced to 62 years’ imprisonment.

Chris Mabuza (41) who was found guilty of raping three women in 2012, was sentenced in the local circuit of the High Court on Tuesday.

He was found guilty on eight charges, ranging from rape and contravention of the Sexual Offences Act to robbery with aggravating circumstances.

Judge Mr Brian Mashile said some of the charges would run concurrently, but Mabuza would still serve

36 years.

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Mabuza’s modus operandi had been to lure his victims by promising them work. He would then hold them at knifepoint and rape and rob them.

Mashile said Mabuza had the characteristics of a sadist. “He is a detriment to society and this is why the minimum life sentence for rape was introduced,” he said.

On June 7, 2012 Mabuza had followed his first victim near a railway line near Matsulu, where he threatened her with a knife. He then made her strip naked and forced her to perform oral sex on him, after which he raped her repeatedly. He then brazenly took her to her grandmother’s house where he proceeded to rape her.

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The other two victims were lured by promises of work. Once he got hold of them alone, he took them to a back of a church, where he raped them repeatedly.

Mashile cited the fact that Mabuza could have transmitted sexual diseases to his victims, including HIV, as one of the considerations for the sentence.

Mpumalanga police spokesman, Sgt Gerald Sedibe said the police welcomed the sentence. “This will act as a deterrent to other potential offenders,” he said. On the same day in court, another serial rapist was found guilty by Mashile for the rape of nine women. Tumelo Johannes Mashego (30) had raped them in the Masoyi area in 2013 and 2014.

In his defence Mashego claimed the police forced him to masturbate and ejaculate into a cup and then had planted his DNA onto the victims. Mashile refuted this as being a reasonable defence. He was found guilty on 29 different charges.

Mashile said a 14 year-old victim burst into tears when she saw the accused in court on the day of her testimony.

“He threatened her with a knife, forced her to strip and made her put a cloth over her face. He then left her in a dark alley near a tavern. A man found her and notified the police.” In another incident two sisters were confronted by Mashego near a cemetery. He pointed a firearm at them and robbed them, forcing one victim to undress before proceeding to rape her. He took her down to the river where he made her wash herself.

Mashile postponed the case for sentencing.

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