Vika Jeremiah Shabangu (34) was sentenced to life imprisonment for rape with an
additional 35 years behind bars for another count of rape, two counts of robbery
aggravating as well as for burglary residential. The sentence was handed down to
Shabangu by the Standerton Regional Court on Thursday 15 June 2023.

The suspect attacked an 18-year-old lady who visited her aunt’s place where there was
a family function. It was heard in court that in 2015, the victim who attended to a phone
call, moved away from a noisy crowd and during that time, the accused emerged from
nowhere and then forcefully took the victim to a secluded area where he raped her.

The suspect enjoyed his freedom for a while and thought he could get away with his
criminal activities, but a few years later he was arrested for robbery aggravating and
burglary case, and that was when police discovered that this was the rape suspect that
they have been looking for and for him, the chickens have come home to roost.

The accused was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment for rape, 15 years
imprisonment for each robbery aggravating and five years imprisonment for burglary
residential.