A murderer, rapist, gun robber and parolee was today sentenced to two life sentences for the rape and murder of his former colleague Ms Regina Majola, who she worked with at the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF).
The accused from Mamelodi, Mr Peter Aubrey Mabotja, was sentenced at the Pretoria North Magistrate Court for the rape, killing and attempting to conceal evidence by throwing the body of his victim into a shaft in December 2017.
Mr Mabotja confessed to his crimes and submitted a statement detailing how he and Ms Majola were employed as sub-contracted cleaners at the DAFF in Pretoria Arcadia.
The deceased was reported missing on 22 December 2017 and her decomposing body was found by the DAFF security on 28 December 2017.
In sentencing, Judge Peet Johnson said the 36-year-old Mr Mabotja, is single and supporting one child, although he had separated with the mother of his child, he still paid monthly maintenance to the child.
Mr Mabotja was on parole that was supposed to end on 24 December 2024 when he committed the crimes.
He was previously in 2007, sentenced to 18 years for a murder that he committed in Kwa-Mhlanga and only served eight years of his sentence, less than half of the sentence when he got out on parole on 1 November 2015.
The Judge said although he has commitments, he has robbed the children of Ms Majola of a mother and as a result, her children are living with relatives.
“After Mr Mabotja raped Ms Majola, he thought it would be wise to murder her to cover for the rape.
“Ms Majola trusted him and he abused her trust, after raping her, he also stole her money, so her trust led to her death.
“After nine months from this incident, he went on and found his other victim in Mamelodi, raped her and assaulted her boyfriend with an unlicensed firearm and stole from her boyfriend.
“In sentencing someone with such atrocities, we need to send a clear message that such behaviour is unacceptable in society,” said Judge Johnson.
The Judge sentenced the accused to a life sentence for raping Ms Majola and another life sentence for murdering her.
The accused was sentenced to another 15 years for stealing Ms Majola’s bank card and withdrawing money from her bank account as he also stole her phone.
For throwing her body in a shaft as a means to conceal evidence, the Judge sentenced him to five years and another four years for stealing from the deceased.
The accused was also sentenced to another 10 years for the second rape he committed in Mamelodi and another 15 years for assaulting and robbing the boyfriend of the second victim of his cellphone.
The accused was also sentenced to another 10 years for being in possession of an unlicensed firearm that he used to threaten the boyfriend of the victim he raped in Mamelodi.
Judge Johnson said that the parole minister needs to review the parole laws as the killing of women and children has become a norm in society.
He said five out of seven of his cases are about men murdering women and children, which seems to indicate that men are no longer considerate to women and children who are weaker than them.
“It is therefore not farfetched to say that you are a danger to society, you should be removed and taken away to show society that to rape and kill women is unacceptable,” Judge Johnson said.
Members of the National Education Health and Allied Workers (NEHAWU) union, blamed the poor security at the DAFF.
Ms Lindiwe Sibeko of NEHAWU at the DAFF said employees are not safe at the DAFF and the safety of employees is compromised.
“After the incident, we received emails from the department instructing us not to talk about the matter of Ms Majola instead of encouraging us to speak out,” said Ms Sibeko.
She said in January 2018, NEHAWU members took it upon themselves to close Sefola Building for the case of Ms Majola to get attention.
Ms Sibeko said the sentencing of the accused is as a result of those efforts.
“The case had been going on for some time and today It has finally come to an end when Judge Johnson sentenced the accused,” she said.