A serial rapist was sentenced to life imprisonment on Thursday (1/8) in the High Court in Klerksdorp after being found guilty of a long list of violent crimes committed in towns and villages in North West. 

Kabelo Tserema (43) was sentenced to double life imprisonment for kidnapping, rape, assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, robbery with aggravating circumstances and pointing a firearm.

He was charged on eleven dockets with a total of 45 various counts of crimes, ten of these cases were registered in Mogwase and one in Phokeng between May 2013 and February 2016.

‘All counts should run concurrently’

“The court ordered that all counts should run concurrently with the sentence of life imprisonment imposed on count one of life imprisonment,” said North West NPA communications officer Sive Gunya.

“Following a lengthy investigation, the accused was identified through forensic leads and he was arrested in February 2020, and has been in custody since then.”

The court heard that as part of committing the crimes, the accused would wait and attack women walking alone in the evening, then grab and drag them to the nearby bushes or graveyards, said Gunya.

‘Victims ranged from 16 to 38 years old’

He would assault, rape, and rob his victims of their cash and cell phones. The victims ranged from 16 to 38 years old.

The sentencing included double life imprisonment on two counts of rape, eight counts of rape sentenced to 10 years on each count, 12 counts of robbery sentenced to 15 years on each count, 11 counts of kidnapping sentenced to five years on each count, and four counts of assault sentenced for six months on each count.

Judge Pieterson said the accused killed the victims emotionally and physically and that Tserema needs to be removed from society for life to protect the women of this country.

OFM News/Zenande Mpame mvh