Staff Reporter
The Free State High Court has sentenced a 40-year-old man to 121 years in jail after he was convicted on two counts of rape and a host of violent crimes.
Thabang Clement Ntsau was also convicted on four counts of housebreaking with intent to rob and robbery, housebreaking with intent to rob and attempted robbery, housebreaking with intent to steal and theft, illegal possession of a firearm and illegal possession of ammunition.
The offences were committed during a 10-year crime spree between 2007 and 2017.
In a statement, National Prosecuting Authority regional spokesperson Phaladi Shuping said Ntsau, a Lesotho citizen, committed the first offence on December 1, 2007 when he broke into the house of a complainant at night in Namahadi Village in Qwaqwa.
“He robbed her of her cellular phone and raped her. On the same day, he broke into the house of a second complainant and attempted to rob her,” read part of the statement.
On January 29, 2008 he broke into the house of a third complainant and stole groceries, DVDs, a DVD player, Nike sneakers and other clothing items.
The complainant was not at home.
“Ntsau continued with his crime spree when he broke into a house of a fourth complainant in Mandela Park. He raped the victim and robbed her of R7 000 and four boxes of boxer tobacco,” said the NPA spokesperson.
On August 10, 2012 he broke into the house of the fifth complainant in Naledi Village.
He robbed the complainant of R3 800 cash, four cellular phones, two necklaces, 10 pairs of earrings, five gold rings and a wrist watch.
Ntsau struck again on January 20, 2013 when he broke into the house of a sixth complainant in Bolata Village and robbed him of his clothing items.
On September 12, 2017 he robbed the seventh complainant of cash, a cellular phone and airtime vouchers.
In aggravation of sentence, state prosecutor Advocate Dansi Mpemvana told the court that the accused did not have anything remarkable in his personal circumstances that will force the court not to impose a lengthy jail term.
“The victims were attacked in the comfort of their homes where they were supposed to be safe,” said Mpemvana.
“Violent crimes remain a serious problem in our society.
“The manner in which the offences were committed shows that he took one offence as a success and moved to the next and re-offend.
“Victims of rape were also robbed of their belongings and this was to humiliate them.
“The accused must be sentenced to a lengthy jail term.”
Judge Somaganathie Naidoo concurred with the prosecutor that the sentence to be imposed must reflect the seriousness of the offences because the offences he committed deserved severe punishment.
She subsequently sentenced Ntsau to a total of 121 years.
Ntsau will effectively serve 75 years in jail after the judge ordered some of the sentences to run concurrently.