Long prison terms for young rapists

TWO young men who raped eight women in Mahikeng were sentenced to numerous life sentences by the North West High Court.

Kabelo Kgabung, 23, and Itumeleng Taukobong, 21, are from Majemantsho village in Mahikeng, North West.

Kgabung was sentenced to two life sentences for three counts of rape.

He was also sentenced to a combined 65 years imprisonment for five counts of rape, one of housebreaking with intent to rob and rape, 40 years for three counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances, five years on a count of house breaking with intent to rob.

Taukobong was sentenced to life imprisonment for multiple counts of rape.

He was also sentenced to 10 years for two counts of housebreaking with intent to rob, eight years for attempted robbery with aggravating circumstances, 30 years for two counts of rape and 15 years for robbery with aggravating circumstances.

All sentences would run concurrently.

The two, according to the court, raped women in several villages in and around Mahikeng.

They threatened their victims with knifes.

While sentencing the two, acting Judge Tebogo Djaje said they did not show any mercy to their victims while committing the crimes.

Djaje said she did not want a situation where women were afraid to walk at night thinking that they might be raped.

The two young men had pretended to be thirsty when they knocked at people’s houses – asking for water before raping their victims.

“I believe that it is not wrong to give a person water. It is these type of offenses that will make people scared to open their doors to other deserving people.

“We will end up with people being afraid of being attacked,” she said.

Djaje also lashed out at one of the men for raping an elderly woman.

“You raped an old woman who could easily be your mother or grandmother.

“You showed her no mercy,” the judge said.

The men’s lawyer had tried to convince the judge to reduce the sentences, saying the two were young and had lost their parents while they were still very young.

Kgabung had lost both his parents, and Taukobong’ s mother had died.

“That cannot justify what you did. If that can be condoned, you can imagine what South African would be like.

“You have instilled fear in Mahikeng,” the judge said.