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Mbombela - A Mpumalanga man, who only pleaded guilty to raping two women after DNA tests linked him to the crimes, has been sentenced to 20 years imprisonment.
Moses Nkosinathi Mathebula, 25, from Dwaleni village near White River, was sentenced when he appeared in the Nelspruit Regional Court on Tuesday.
On April 2, he was the accused in the rape and robbery case involving a 22-year-old woman from Masoyi in September last year when the court heard that his DNA had linked him to another rape and robbery case committed in 2012.
The court head that first victim, a 21-year-old woman at Backdoor village in 2012, was raped after the accused broke into her house.
Mathebula told the court that he was under the impression that the 2012 case was finalised, but to his shock learned that it had only been provisionally withdrawn pending DNA test results from the Pretoria Laboratory.
"The accused was also linked by a second DNA tests to the rape of 2014,” State Prosecutor Magda Marais told the court on Tuesday.
"The second victim, a 22-year-old woman, was attacked and robbed of her handbag, R30 and a cellphone at White River," Marais said.
After realising both DNA tests were positive, Mathebula decided to plead guilty to all the charges through his Legal Aid lawyer.
Marais said such cases were prevalent in the region and the court had a duty to protect women and children from criminals like Mathebula.
She said Mathebula only pleaded guilty in a bid to get a suspended sentence.
"He pleaded after realising the evidence was too heavy after the DNA tests linked him to the two crimes," said Marais.
Magistrate Vanessa Joubert combined the two charges for the purpose of sentencing and sentenced him to 20 years imprisonment.
