LIMPOPO – Tshidi Motsela (25) from Nobody village was sentenced to life in prison by the Mankweng Regional Court for the rape of a 17-year-old girl in October 2015.
Motsela escaped from custody while en-route to Modimolle Prison on Tuesday, 4 July.
Police spokesperson Lt Col Moatshe Ngoepe says Motsela was re-arrested in the early hours of Wednesday morning, 5 July.
He appeared before the Mankweng Magisteate Court on the same day.
“He was immediately sentenced to an additional 6 months imprisonment, without fine, for escaping from lawful custody,” Ngoepe explained.
In a separate sentencing, 34-year-old Levy Nkeru Masenya was sentenced to two life sentencings for rape and murder by the Lephalale Regional Court.
On 18 May 2014, Masenya attacked a 41-year-old woman along the Beauty and Vaalwater gravel road in Witpoort.
Ngoepe says Masenya attacked and dragged the woman to the bushes where he raped her and stabbed her to death with a sharp object.
“Masenya fled the scene but was arrested following in-depth investigations by the police,” he said.
Ngoepe added that SAPS management have welcomed the lengthy jail terms given to the two criminals, saying it is another milestone achievement in the fight against contact and sexual offence crimes.
The Saps Provincial Commissioner LT. General Nneke Jim Ledwaba, has applauded the team of detectives, who were involved in the investigations of these two incidents.
“This shows the professional and dedicated performance by the police to our communities in the consistent fight against crime,” Ledwaba said.
Ledwaba hopes that these sentences will serve as a deterrent to all potential criminals as the long arm of the law will deal with them mercilessly and without compromise.
