The Polokwane High Court has sentenced Mahlatse Tolonyane Mathote Matebane, a 32-year-old man from Manapyane Village, to an effective 25 years of direct imprisonment for a spree of violent crimes committed across the Sekhukhune District.
The conviction and sentencing follow extensive investigations by Detective Sergeant Raymond Phago of the Sekhukhune District Investigation and Tracking Task Team, who successfully linked Matebane to multiple cases of rape, attempted murder, robbery, housebreaking, and possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition between 2020 and 2023.
The court heard harrowing details of the accused’s crimes. In the first incident on August 10, 2020, a 20-year-old woman from Motetema was attacked while returning from a local tuckshop. Matebane, blaming her for reporting him to the police, dragged her into nearby bushes, threatened to kill her, and raped her. The traumatized victim later reported the matter to the police.
Just over a month later, on September 15, 2020, in the Rakgoadi policing area, an 18-year-old schoolgirl was hitchhiking from Mamphokgo Village to Moeding Village to write her trial examinations when she was attacked. The court found that Matebane threatened the victim with a firearm, forced her into bushes, and raped her before fleeing into the mountains.
On February 13, 2021, a 32-year-old man became a target. While at a tuckshop in Mafisheng Village, Rakgoadi, he was confronted by Matebane. After a brief altercation, the accused drew a firearm and shot the victim multiple times in the thigh, arm, and shoulder blade. The victim managed to escape and sought medical assistance at a local hospital.
Through persistent investigation, Detective Sergeant Phago connected Matebane to several additional offences, including robbery with aggravating circumstances, housebreaking with intent to rape, attempted murder, and possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition.
On October 30, 2025, the Polokwane High Court found Matebane guilty on nine counts. The court imposed the following sentences:
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25 years for rape (Motetema)
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10 years for rape (Rakgoadi)
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25 years for rape (Motetema)
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8 years for housebreaking with intent to rape (Motetema)
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10 years for attempted murder (Rakgoadi)
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15 years for robbery with aggravating circumstances (Motetema)
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10 years for attempted murder (Motetema)
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15 years for possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition (Motetema)
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2 years for escaping from lawful custody (Dennilton)
The cumulative sentence totalled 125 years’ imprisonment. However, the court ordered that the sentences for counts two to nine run concurrently with the 25-year sentence for the first count of rape, resulting in an effective 25 years of direct imprisonment.