The Pretoria High Court has sentenced a 34-year-old serial rapist from Mamelodi, to life imprisonment plus 491 years for a series of heinous sexual offences and violent crimes committed over six years.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) welcomed the sentencing, Pretoria Rekord reports.

Spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said Doctor Nkurube Maruma was convicted on 19 counts of rape, multiple counts of housebreaking, robbery with aggravating circumstances, attempted rape, sexual assault, and theft.

His sentences will run concurrently, and he was declared unfit to possess a firearm.

Six years of violence across two provinces

Mahanjana said the culprit’s reign of terror was committed between October 2017 and August 2022.

Between 2017 and 2018, Maruma committed these offences in Limpopo while he resided there.

Mahanjana added that when Maruma was in Pretoria from 2019 until 2022, when he was arrested, he continued his modus operandi.

“During this period, Maruma broke into 15 households. His oldest rape victim was a 38-year-old woman, while his youngest was a 15-year-old girl.”

He would break into a victim’s home during the early hours of the morning or at night, threaten his victim with a knife or gun, rob them, and rape the women.

Mahanjana said on October 1, 2017 around 02:00 Maruma raped the 38-year-old-woman at her home in Limpopo when she went to the outside bathroom.

“In another incident, Maruma raped the 15-year-old girl in the presence of her mother after he broke into their home in the middle of the night.”

Caught after last attack thanks to community involvement

She said Maruma was arrested on August 14, 2022, shortly after raping and robbing another victim of three cellphones and two laptops.

“The victim alerted a neighbour, and while searching the area, they stopped a police vehicle that was passing and reported the incident. Police later spotted and arrested Maruma.”

Mahanjana said in court, Maruma pleaded not guilty and denied all allegations.

“Prosecutor Advocate Vusimuzi Tshabalala presented DNA evidence linking Maruma to the crimes and led powerful victim testimonies.”

During sentencing, Maruma asked for leniency, citing his youth at the time of the offences and a difficult upbringing.

“However, Advocate Tshabalala opposed this, arguing Maruma was 26 when he began offending, fully aware of his actions, and showed no remorse, mocking victims in court and blaming witchcraft.”

Mahanjana said Tshabalala emphasised that Maruma targeted vulnerable women and children, unlawfully entering their homes to rob and rape them.

Judge Mashudu Munzhelele agreed that Maruma had shown no remorse and mocked his suffering victims during trial.

Furthermore, the judge said Maruma was not a productive member of society, he committed crimes instead of seeking honest work and terrorised his community through calculated and repeated criminal acts.

In addition, Munzhelele said the sentence imposed should send a strong message that gender-based violence (GBV) and similar crimes will not be tolerated.

Mahanjana explained that, therefore, the court found no substantial and compelling circumstances to justify a deviation from the prescribed minimum sentences.

Acting Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Advocate Marika Jansen van Vuuren, commended the prosecutor for his dedication in securing the conviction.

She said this landmark sentence sends a powerful message that GBV offenders will meet the full might of the law.

“It reflects the NPA’s unwavering commitment to ensuring justice for victims, holding perpetrators accountable, and protecting the most vulnerable members of our society. Serial offenders like Maruma have no place in our communities, and we will continue to pursue justice without fear or favour.”

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