VIDEO: ANC councillor gets life plus 58 years for rape, robbery

The Ga-Rankuwa Magistrate’s Court. Picture: Rudzani Matshili

The Ga-Rankuwa Magistrate’s Court. Picture: Rudzani Matshili

Published Jul 11, 2018

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Pretoria - ANC Councillor of Ward 9 in Tshwane, Sipho Maselane, who was convicted on four counts of rape and four counts of robbery, has been sentenced to life as well as 53 years imprisonment.    

Magistrate Dan Mogotsi delivered sentencing at the Ga-Rankuwa Magistrate’s Court and said the accusations from the victims were nasty.

"We are talking here about offences that were committed over a number of days. If you wanted to stop you could have stopped."

He said he chose victims who were either going to a tavern or returning from one.

"That was your target, ladies who were not accompanied by males, mostly in pairs and those who didn't have transport to go home, " he said.

He said the accused abused all of his victims' rights and yet acted like a sheep.

DA Women's Network’s Gauteng North Chairperson Mpho Mehlape-Zimu called for a harsh sentence to be handed down on Sipho Maselane, ANC Councillor in Ward 9 in Tshwane convicted of rape and robbery. Video: Rudzani Matshili

"After raping the women you instructed them to wash their private parts with alcohol to hide the evidence," he said.

The 34 year-old was arrested in 2015 for the crimes, in which he assaulted and raped two 14-year-old girls and another two women aged 30 and 37.

Maselane allegedly offered the women and girls lifts in a white Toyota Corolla, before robbing them of their belongings. 

This was then followed by forcing them to perform oral sex on him at gunpoint.

The DA Women’s Network (DAWN) has welcomed the sentence, saying it was fair.

Speaker of Tshwane council Katlego Mathebe also added to this, saying: “The magistrate did indeed apply his mind and it is a fair sentence. 

"The sad thing is the crimes were committed by somebody who was supposed to be a leader. The cruelty which was unleashed on the victims is very sad." 

"He raped and robbed them at gunpoint and he also tampered with evidence after he raped the victims, he also told them to wash their private parts with alcohol,” Mathebe said.

There were mixed reactions following the sentence from ANC members who were gathered outside the court in support of the convict. 

While emotions were running high from some of his supporters, others said the sentence was fair.

Pretoria News

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