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The National Prosecuting Authority said a 35-year-old fell ill and was declared dead in holding cells after pleading guilty to 14 charges of rape and 11 charges of armed robbery.
NPA North West spokesperson, Henry Mamothame, said Johannes Shabangu, was declared dead by paramedics after collapsing in a holding cell of the Ga-Rankuwa Regional Court on Wednesday.
“This was subsequent to Judge Andre Peterson receiving his guilty plea statement and subsequently finding him guilty in all charges, in accordance with the guilty plea,” he said.
Mamothame said the case was set for Victim Impact Statements to be read in court before sentencing could be imposed, but it was rolled over to Thursday for him to receive medical attention.
“It emerged in court that Shabangu was declared dead by the paramedics and a declaration certificate was presented to Judge Peterson. He further ordered for an inquest docket to be registered, to determine the cause of death,” he said.
Mamothame said Shabangu’s court appearance emanated from incidents that took place in Winterveldt, in the Odi district, between July 2012 and December 2019, where he and unknown accomplices, had raped and robbed multiple women.
He said the youngest of their victim was 14 years of age and her ordeal took place in June 2015.
“In his guilty plea statement, which was read by his attorney, he took responsibility for all the charges he was facing and asked for forgiveness from his victims.”
Shabangu’s accomplices are still at large.
