The Polokwane High Court has sentenced 41-year-old Sipho Justice Machete to an effective 25 years imprisonment for a string of brutal crimes, including rape, robbery, and assault, committed over a 14-year period across Limpopo’s Mopani District.
Machete was convicted on nine counts of rape, multiple charges of robbery with aggravating circumstances, and assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, spanning from 2005 to 2019. His reign of terror targeted vulnerable women and children in Tzaneen, Modjadjiskloof, and Bolobedu.
Victims, aged between 14 and 58, were ambushed along footpaths and secluded areas during late-night and early-morning hours. Machete concealed himself in bushes before attacking unsuspecting victims, threatening them with knives and stones. He would sexually assault them before robbing them of personal belongings.
The breakthrough in the long-running investigation came in February 2024, when Machete was traced and arrested in Midrand, Gauteng Province. Advanced DNA analysis conclusively linked him to multiple crime scenes, finally ending his 14-year spree.
The case was meticulously built by Sergeant Mokgadi Matjeka from the Provincial Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) and Serial and Electronic Crime Investigations (SECI) Unit, who successfully opposed bail and ensured the evidence stood firm in court.
Delivering judgment on 19 August 2025, the Polokwane High Court highlighted the systematic nature of Machete’s crimes and the devastating impact on victims and communities, imposing a 25-year effective sentence.
Limpopo’s Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe, commended the investigating officer and the SECI Unit for their diligence and commitment to justice, stating:
“This sentence demonstrates that the SAPS will not relent in bringing perpetrators of heinous crimes to justice. We hope this outcome brings some closure to the victims and their families.”
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