The Polokwane High Court has sentenced Matome Ruben Modiba, 31, to a combined 141 years of direct imprisonment after convicting him on multiple counts of rape and robbery. Limpopo Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe has welcomed the sentence.
Evidence presented in court established that on 12 February 2017 at approximately 05:30, a woman was walking home from Maake Plaza when an unknown man grabbed her, raped her, and robbed her of her cellphone. A rape case was registered. Modiba continued committing rape and robbery, using the same modus operandi, without being identified for years.
On 18 November 2022 at around 20:00, a 16-year-old girl was walking with friends along the road near TVET College when an unknown man dragged her into nearby bushes and raped her. The case was reported at Maake SAPS and assigned to Sergeant Tintswalo Vukeya of the Tzaneen Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit. Sergeant Vukeya’s investigation linked Modiba to the crimes through DNA evidence, leading to his arrest. He was denied bail and remained in custody until Tuesday, 21 April 2026, when the conviction and sentencing were handed down.
The court imposed the following sentences per count:
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Count 2: rape — 10 years imprisonment
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Count 6: rape — 10 years imprisonment
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Count 9: rape — 10 years imprisonment
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Count 10: rape — 10 years imprisonment
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Count 12: robbery with aggravating circumstances — 13 years imprisonment
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Count 13: rape — 10 years imprisonment
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Count 16: rape — 10 years imprisonment
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Count 17: rape — 10 years imprisonment
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Count 19: rape — 10 years imprisonment
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Count 20: rape — 25 years imprisonment, of which 3 years are wholly suspended
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Count 21: robbery with aggravating circumstances — 13 years imprisonment
Modiba will serve a combined total of 141 years of direct imprisonment. The court also declared him unfit to possess a firearm.