Rustenburg - A 32-year-old man was sentenced to life imprisonment for rape at the North West High Court sitting in Ga-Rankuwa, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said on Wednesday.
North West NPA spokesperson, Henry Mamothame, said Anderson Calvin Chauke was further sentenced to a lengthy jail term for eight other serious offences.
He said Chauke was arrested on January 12, 2019, following a series of criminal offences by him and his accomplices.
Chauke and two other men broke into a house in Kgabalatsane on May 7, 2018, and robbed two women of a laptop, cellphone, R300 and other valuables.
“Before fleeing the scene, they raped one of the victims. The court sentenced Chauke to life imprisonment for rape, 15 years for robbery and a further five years for housebreaking,” Mamothame said.
On December 26, 2018, Chauke and his accomplices confronted an elderly woman who was outside her house. When her son intervened, Chauke shot him in the thigh. They then robbed him of two cellphones, a laptop and items of clothing and assaulted him.
Chauke was sentenced to 15 years for attempted murder and 15 years for robbery.
On January 12, 2019, Chauke and an accomplice broke into a house in Kgabalatsane where they found Felistas Masite asleep. They assaulted her before robbing her of two cellphones and a belt.
Chauke was sentenced to five years for housebreaking and a further 10 years for robbery.
After robbing Masite, Chauke, without his accomplice, broke into another house in Kgabalatsane. When he was confronted by Muziwenkosi Gumbi inside the house, he pulled out a firearm and opened fire.
“He then assaulted and pointed a gun at Gumbi while robbing her of two cellphones, R1 000 and clothing items,” Mamothame said.
The court sentenced him to five years for housebreaking and a further 15 years for robbery.
He was also declared unfit to possess a firearm.
The sentences will run concurrently.
Chauke’s accomplices are still at large.
IOL