Rustenburg - A 42-year-old man was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment for rape and murder at the Bafokeng Regional Court in Tlhabane, near Rustenburg.
Sonnyboy Ramela was charged with two counts of rape and one of murder. He was sentenced on Wednesday. He was found guilty on October 27.
Ramela was sentenced for raping and killing Zanele Biyo, 16, on New Year’s Day in 2020. The teenager's decomposed body was found on January 5, 2020 in Chaneng, outside Rustenburg.
He was further sentenced for raping Biyo's friend aged 18 on December 24, 2019.
North West police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Amanda Funani said evidence was led in court that Ramela was seen leaving a local tavern in Chaneng village outside Phokeng in the company of two teenagers on December 24, 2019.
"He then went to his place where he raped the pair. Subsequent to the incident, a case of rape was opened for investigation. The suspect evaded the arrest until he met the 16-year-old victim again at the same tavern on Tuesday, December 31, 2019.
"They left the tavern and were both seen entering the nearby bushes between midnight and 1am on New Year's Day. The victim has not been seen since then, and her parents opened a case of kidnapping on Friday, January 3, 2020," she said.
At that point, Ramela was already in detention after he was arrested on January 1, 2020 as a result of information received from members of the community for the initial rape he committed on December 24, 2019.
"Further investigation into the matter led to the discovery of the 16-year-old victim's decomposed body in the bushes on Sunday, January 5, 2020, at Chaneng village."
She said North West provincial commissioner Lieutenant-General Sello Kwena welcomed the 20 years’ imprisonment sentence handed down to Ramela.
"North West provincial commissioner Lieutenant-General Sello Kwena commended the investigating officer, Captain Dipotso Montsho, and the prosecutor, Mr Zola Mpayipheli, as well as other role-players for their team work that resulted in the sentence," she said.
IOL