Heavy sentences for Limpopo murderer, rapists

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Pretoria – Limpopo Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Fanie Masemola, has welcomed the sentences handed out to two rapists and a murderer in the provincial courts on Friday.

Lutendo Madume (26) from Tshilwavhusiku, outside Makhado, was sentenced to life for kidnapping and stabbing his girlfriend, Shetani Tuwani (20), to death. 

Masemola said he hoped the sentence would serve as a warning to all perpetrators of gender based violence.

The murder took place last year after Madume forcefully took the victim from her home to his house.  Tuwani’s mother reported the incident to the police, who upon arrival heard the victim screaming. 

They broke down the door, only to find Tuwani had already died from stab wounds. 

Madume was sentenced to two years for kidnapping and received a life sentence for the murder by the Thohoyandou High Court.

Meanwhile, the Ritavi Magistrates Court sentenced Shadrack Mabunda (40) to life for raping a three-year-old child from Letsitele two years ago. 

The victim’s mother arrived home from work to find her daughter missing.  She found the child in Mabunda’s company near his house, and he fled after seeing her. 

The mother suspected something was wrong after the child complained of pain in her private parts.

The child was taken to Letabo Hospital, where rape was confirmed. The suspect was traced and arrested the next day. He remained in custody until his conviction.

In another incident, Thabiso Freddy Senyolo (20) was sentenced to 20 and 10 years respectively on two charges of rape by the Naphuno Regional Court. 

Senyolo was found guilty for raping two girls, aged 15 and 19, in August 2013.  The two victims had just finished performing at a local tavern in Maake and when they retreated to their room, they were overpowered at knife point by Senyolo and viciously raped. 

The police were alerted and the suspect was arrested the same night. Senyolo was also denied bail until his sentencing.

"We are constantly directing police resources and capacitating our detectives, so that police do not only arrest perpetrators of crime, but also secure convictions. In order to achieve these objectives, we needed to reinforce our detective and investigative arms,” Masemola said. 

“The convictions in this case indicate that our investments are yielding the desired results. I am immensely proud of my members in securing these sentences,” he said. – SAnews.gov.za