By Prince Mupiri
POLOKWANE, MARCH 16 — The Polokwane High Court has sentenced a Zimbabwean serial assaulter and killer, Themba Prince Willards Dube, to life in prison. Dube, who used Limpopo as his hunting grounds, was found guilty of a variety of heinous acts and received eight life sentences plus 88 years in prison. His crimes included two charges of sexual assault, six counts of murder, five counts of violent robbery, extortion, theft, possession of stolen goods, and being an illegal immigrant.
Dube had unlawfully entered South Africa in 2008 and would lure his victims with the promise of work. Once he had gained their trust, he would take them to various locations, including Polokwane Airport, Mokaba Stadium, Dendron Road, Matlala Road, and Blood River, where he would assault, rob, and murder them.
The serial murderer was caught by police in October 2021 for holding a phone belonging to a lady who had been kidnapped in Lebowakgomo earlier that month. Before his capture, he attempted to extort R1,000 for her safe return.
On aggravation of punishment, the State lawyer Calvin Chauke argued that Dube displayed no signs of remorse and that his planned actions should be sternly considered. The State prosecutor Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi added that vulnerable members of society, including women, were Dube’s victims and that he “feels no remorse for what he has done to the relatives of the deceased.”
The Director of Public Prosecutions, advocate Ivy Thenga, has praised the investigators Seroka, Manaka, Mokgohla, Magadani, and Matumba for their efforts and welcomed the sentencing. He hopes that the punishment demonstrates that the court system has no mercy for those who abuse women and children, and the fight against gender-based violence will continue. – Namibia Daily News
