AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER
A South African man who raped and stabbed a university student 90 times has been handed two life terms.
Aubrey Manaka, who pleaded guilty to the 2019 crimes, was given a life sentence each of the murder and rape of Precious Ramabulana, who was a student at the Capricon TVET College in Limpopo. Manaka was also sentenced to eight years for housebreaking with an intention to rape and 15 years for robbery with aggravating circumstances.
In his plea, Manaka said he wanted to propose love to the Ramabulana (21). He claimed that it was love at first sight when spotted her dancing with her friend. He then decided to go and watch soccer and drink a few bottles of alcohol. In the early hours of the morning, he knocked on Ramabulana’s door but she was afraid to open the door.
Manaka said he forcefully opened the window and gained entrance to her room. A struggle ensued, he claimed, and he decided to stab Ramabulana. He stabbed her several times on her body and then raped her, while she was still bleeding profusely. He stabbed her again after the rape, with an intention to kill her so that she could not identify him. He said he then left the scene with her cellphones.,
In his plea for mercy from the court, Manaka apologised to Ramabulana’s family, friends and the community.
Ramabulana’s aunt, Mavis Setlhodimela estified in aggravation of sentence and spoke of the impact of the gruesome death on the mother of the deceased.
The Setlhodimela asked for a harsh sentence and asked the court to take into consideration the gruesome and inhumane nature of the crime. “We all saw the wounds with our eyes,” she said.
In sentencing Manaka, Judge Francis Kganyago said he stabbed Ramabulana with the intention to kill her.
“These are the deeds of an evil person and the deceased has died a gruesome death. Women have the right to walk freely and society requires protection from the courts from people like Manaka, in order to gain confidence in the criminal justice system,” Judge Kganyago said.
The judge said Ramabulana, 21 years-old when she was killed, had her life ahead of her.
Ramabulana’s gruesome death attracted the attention of SA President Cyril Ramaphosa and Limpopo Premier Chipu Mathabatha, who promised to secure justice for her.
