JAILED: Facebook rapist lured women through fake job offers

Tebogo Phisco Matlakala, a 28-year-old man from Kanye, was on Monday sentenced to 15 years in jail for raping and stealing a cellphone from a 24-year-old woman from Mahalapye.

The convicted rapist used Facebook to lure women across Botswana. He would create fake Facebook pages advertising bogus job opportunities, posing as someone offering assistance, particularly to women seeking employment.

While convicted for a crime that occurred in September 2022, Matlakala still has pending cases before the Kanye magistrate court. These cases involve allegations of swindling people through Facebook, indicating a pattern of deceitful behavior.

Details presented in court revealed that Matlakala contacted a woman from Mahalapye under false pretenses, claiming she had been called for a job interview through Facebook. The victim traveled from Mahalapye to Kanye for the supposed interview, where Matlakala proceeded to rape her and steal her black Samsung Duos phone valued at P1000.

During the court proceedings, it was revealed that after luring the victim to Kanye under false pretenses, the victim was violently attacked. She sustained injuries including to her right hand and a bruise on her forehead as a result of falling during a struggle with the rapist.

During his mitigation, the notorious rapist said that he had a tough and painful upbringing, as his father was not present in his life. He said his father long abandoned him at eight years and that he was raped at a young age by the family helper and that all these things haunted him while growing up. He attributed his actions to his painful upbringing and asked for court leniency blaming his actions on his past neglect, abandonment and abuse.

Before passing judgment, Senior Magistrate Keneilwe Kgoadi cautioned that in light of the high unemployment rate, individuals should be wary of falling for fake job advertisements, which could potentially lead them into dangerous situations. She advised the public to exercise caution, particularly when engaging with offers on Facebook.

Matlakala was handed a concurrent 15-year jail sentence for rape and theft, with an additional one-year sentence for the theft charge. The court ordered that the stolen cellphone, which was later recovered, be returned to the victim. Matlakala was advised of his right to appeal within 14 days.