The Limpopo police commissioner, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe, has welcomed a lengthy jail term meted out against 23-year-old Jackson Manamela for rape, robbery, and house breaking with the intention to steal and rob.

The sentence was handed down in the Mahwelereng Regional Court on earlier this week.

The court heard that Manamela found an elderly woman (84) cooking outside her shack in Mellenium village, Mahwelereng, Limpopo, on May 9, 2022, and attacked and stabbed her forehead with a pair of scissors before dragging her into her shack.

The victim was robbed of R70 in cash as well as her Sassa card before being raped by the accused, who later fled the scene.

The victim is said to have informed her neighbour about the ordeal, and the police were summoned to the scene.

Police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba said robbery and rape cases were immediately opened, and the suspect was arrested three days later.

“The case was transferred to the Mokopane Family Violence, Child Protection, and Sexual Offences Unit (FCS) for further investigation, led by Sergeant Ramokone Tinah Matsimbi. Through her dedication and commitment, she ensured that Manamela was never granted bail after it was discovered that he was out on bail for housebreaking with the intention to steal and rob in 2019 against the same victim,” his statement read.

The two cases were combined, and the accused was found guilty and sentenced on the following counts:

• Count 1: Robbery – Three years imprisonment.
• Count 2: Rape – Life imprisonment.
• Count 3: Housebreaking with the intention to steal and commit robbery – 15 years’ imprisonment.

“All the sentences will run concurrently, and the accused was also declared unfit to possess a firearm,” Ledwaba said.