Unable to accept their relationship was over, Moiphitlho Setumo took terrible revenge on his ex-girlfriend.
Shortly after he was dumped, on 8 September 2017, the 44-year-old Mokoboxane man raped the woman he claimed to love.
Found guilty by Lethlhakane Magistrate Court back in 2019, Setumo has been languishing in jail ever since, waiting to be sentenced.
The convicted rapist finally learnt his fate this week, appearing before Francistown High Court on Tuesday, where he was slapped with the minimum 15 years behind bars.
Setumo will be wishing he had been sentenced earlier, as the minimum punishment for rape was increased from 10 years imprisonment to 15 years in 2023.
In passing sentence, Justice Tshegofatso Mogomotsi explained court considered a number of factors, including that the rape was not committed in an overly violent matter.
The judge also noted the accused was not a first-time offender, although his previous brushes with the law were not sexually related.
“They were light matters as compared to the one he is facing now. The last offence was committed eight years ago. The court will look at the fact that the accused person has been in prison for four years waiting for this matter to finish,” ruled Mogomotsi, backdating the sentence to the time of his conviction.
It means, providing he serves the full 15 years, Setumo will not breathe free air again until 2034.
