A man convicted of raping three children in Rikhotso village, outside Tzaneen in Limpopo, has been sentenced to life in prison.

Limpopo provincial police commissioner Lt-Gen Thembi Hadebe welcomed the life sentence handed down to Dineo Prince Sekgobela, 28, by the regional court in Tzaneen on Tuesday.

The trial court found the accused had on November 12 2016 broken into a house and found a 17-year-old girl sleeping with her siblings. He threatened them with a knife and raped the teen in front of her siblings.

On November 19 2016, the accused broke into another house in the same village and found a 17-year-old girl sleeping.

“He also threatened her with a knife and raped her,” said Limpopo police spokesperson Brig Motlafela Mojapelo.

“On November 21 2016, the accused went to another homestead in the same village and knocked at the door, pretending to be asking for water. He then forcefully entered the house and raped a 14-year-old.”

Mojapelo said the cases were assigned to detective Sgt Glenda Mathebula from the Tzaneen family violence, child protection and sexual offences unit. After meticulous investigation the accused was arrested and charged with three counts of rape and one count of housebreaking with intent to commit rape.

The sentences were handed down as follows:

• 10 years' imprisonment for rape;
• six years for housebreaking with intent to commit rape;  
• 10 years for the second rape; and
• a life sentence for the third rape.

The first three sentences will run concurrently with the fourth.

TimesLIVE