14 May 2025

A serial rapist, Tshepiso Letsididi has been sentenced to a cumulative 25 years imprisonment following his conviction on two counts of rape, theft of motor vehicle and robbery.

Principal Magistrate Queen Moanga of Mochudi Magistrate Court on Monday handed Letsididi (37) a 10-year imprisonment sentence for each of the two charges of rape, with the sentences running consecutively.

Letsididi was also sentenced to a further 10-year imprisonment for robbery, which will run concurrently with one of the rape sentences as well as a five-year prison sentence for motor vehicle theft, which will run consecutively from the rape sentences.The Mochudi Magistrate Court outcome comes a week after Magistrate Gofaone Morweng handed Letsididi a 15-year imprison term for raping a minor.

Explaining the sentences, Magistrate Moanga said Letsididi, who was hurling insults at judicial officers, would start sentences imposed by Mochudi court after completing the 15 years imprisonment term handed by the Broadhurst Magistrate Court. Letsididi was convicted and sentenced for raping an eight-year-old girl in Rasesa in January 2022, after he snatched the little girl from a deep sleep during the night to sexually abuse her.

The court heard that after the ordeal, Letsididi forgot a used condom at the crime scene, which was used to pin him to the crime as the DNA sample analysis of the liquid found inside the condom matched him, while its outer condom analysis matched the victim. In the second rape charge, Letsididi was said to have on December 1, 2022 in Rasesa broken into a house and raped a 41-year old female, stole a BMW motor vehicle, P200 cash, alcoholic drinks and food items.

Letsididi, who was armed with a knife and an axe, was said to have tied the victim with a cellotape in order to commit the heinous act, and later stayed in the house for some time feasting and playing television aloud before making away with the vehicle.

Magistrate Moanga said when the trial started, Letsididi refused to participate but later changed his mind on the second day and took part in his defence. She said the accused’s behaviour was not surprising as he once objected to the case being handled by prosecutor, Ms Seeletso Ookeditse, saying she was handling his other case.

Ms Moanga said Letsididi subsequently wrote a letter to the Director of Public Prosecutions, seeking the recusal of Ms Ookeditse, which was rejected as the director responded that it was the Directorate of Public Prosecutions prerogative to assign prosecutors. Ms Moanga said the accused denied ever stealing the motor vehicle and raping the victim despite DNA samples conducted from the victim’s body matching him and the witnesses testifying that he drove the stolen BMW which was found at a bar in Malotwane.

“He stole it because he and the complainant were strangers and before stealing it, he had sexually violated her,” Ms Moanga said.

Letsididi, who has another rape case before Molepolole Magistrate Court had been advised of his right to appeal the sentence in 14 days. ENDS