POTCHEFSTROOM – The Provincial Commissioner of North West, Lieutenant General Sello Kwena welcomed five life terms handed down to a 42-year-old Michael Motsamai Segale by the Rustenburg Regional Court on Tuesday, 08 February 2022.
Segale’s conviction came after intensive and thorough investigation conducted following cases of rape he committed between April and June 2013 at Boitekong and Lethabong village outside Rustenburg. Segale who is from Lethabong village, targeted young girls aged between 5 and 15. As part of his method of committing these crimes, the accused would ask the girls to show him certain places and upon directing, him he would cunningly persuade the victims to accompany him. The unsuspecting girls would in the end be instructed to undress and raped after being threatened with a knife.
The long arm of the law caught up with the accused on Friday, 19 July 2013. It was established during the arrest that the accused was on parole after being sentenced to 25 years imprisonment on 30 January 2003 for rape. Subsequent to the arrest, the accused was linked with all the rape cases through the DNA.
He was ultimately sentenced to five (5) life terms on four counts of rape.
Lieutenant General Sello Kwena commended the Investigating Officer, Detective Sergeant Obakeng Rasego and other investigating officers who worked on the cases before as well as prosecution for their cooperation that culminated in the conviction.
Source: South African Police Service