Convicted serial rapist, and former taxi driver, Lebogang Gift Mokoena, who is currently serving 13 life terms and 340 years, has received another life sentence plus 35 years.
While delivering her sentence on Wednesday in the Roodepoort Magistrate’s Court, magistrate Ruby Matthys described Mokoena as a menace to society who didn’t deserve to live among ordinary members of society.
He was sentenced to life on a rape charge and received 30 years for two counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances and five years for kidnapping.
“It is incumbent to this court to take cognisance of the crimes committed by the accused and the court to take a relevant approach when delivering sentence.
“Rape, kidnapping and robbery are known to be devastating in its consequences to every victim. The impacts of the crimes are severe on the entire being of the victims,” said Matthys.
Battling to cope
She added that the survivor who was raped in the presence of teenage son, after they boarded a taxi driven by Mokoena, was battling to cope with the ordeal.
Mokoena and two other accomplices accosted the woman and her 19-year-old son along Ontdekkers Road in Florida, on the West Rand on March 19 2017. Inside the taxi Mokoena pointed a firelighter at the two, pretending it was a firearm, and then proceeded to rape the woman, while the taxi was driven around by the accomplices.
The men later robbed the pair of two cellphones and withdrew over R29 000 from the woman’s bank account. The men went on a shopping spree buying expensive whiskey and groceries.
Matthys said the mother found it difficult to be among a crowd of people and could still smell the odour of the accused, while her son is unable to express his emotions regarding the rape.
“It had left them with wounds that one can’t explain. Today the entire taxi business is tainted by these incidents. Owners have now put a vetting process when employing drivers. The accused has proved himself to be a menace to society.
“Although he pleaded guilty, the impact of the case points away from remorse. He had his back against the wall,” Matthys said.
Mokoena has been ordered to undergo psychotherapy and sexual offenders’ programmes in jail.
Even if he is considered for parole, he can’t be released without victims being involved in the process.
Previous sentence
On November 22, high court judge Cassim Moosa sentenced Mokoena to 13 life terms and 340 additional years in jail.
Mokoena carried out his reign of terror over a period of 13 months between September 26, 2016, and October 12, 2017. He went on his crime spree across Gauteng where he kidnapped female taxi passengers who boarded his Toyota Quantum and then raped them.
He was apprehended by the police at a house in Molapo, Soweto, on October 23, 2017.
Some of the survivors pointed him out during an identity parade. He was also linked to the crimes through his DNA.
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