As the country observes this year's 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children, the South African Police Service (SAPS) is highlighting the work of its men and women in blue, who go beyond the call of duty to protect women and children in South Africa.
Today, SAPS introduces the nation to Warrant Officer Sonwabile Dlomo, an investigator attached to the Serial and Electronic Crime Investigations (SECI) Unit in Zwelitsha, Eastern Cape.
Dlomo says his childhood dream of becoming a police officer came true when he got enlisted to the Service 19 years ago.
His inquisitive mind eventually led him to become a detective and he has been within the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) environment since 2010.
To date, Dlomo secured 23 life terms and 594 years for 16 rapists, who are now behind bars.
In June 2024, the Makanda High Court sentenced Glass Lechesa to six life terms and an additional 125 years imprisonment on multiple counts of rape, robbery with aggravated circumstances and robbery common.
Lechesa targeted young girls in and around the areas of Joubertina and Addo, the youngest victim being 14 years old at the time. He stalked and attacked these victims in farm areas, robbed and repeatedly raped them before he fled the scene.
The case landed on Dlomo’s desk for further investigation. The suspect was still unknown at that stage, but that did not deter Dlomo from cracking the case. He meticulously pieced all available leads together and through the application of various investigative techniques, he managed to link the suspect to 10 rape cases.
Hot on the suspect’s heels, Dlomo proceeded to Addo police station to ascertain if there were more rape dockets similar to these 10 cases.
Dlomo says his instinct led him to trace the suspect’s activities during his ‘cooling off’ period. He then found three more cases with a similar modus operandi. These cases were eventually added to the serial following positive confirmation from the SAPS’ Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL).
Lechesa’s reign of terror came to an end on 16 April 2023, when he was arrested by Dlomo and his team. They operationalised information they obtained on the location of the suspect. Dlomo successfully opposed bail and Lechesa remained in custody until sentencing.
As a SECI investigator, Dlomo's duties include the investigation of serial rape cases, as well as sexual crimes committed on electronic mediums, such as the possession, distribution and manufacturing of child pornography.
"In most of my cases, the suspects are unknown at first. My goal is always to go beyond the call of duty to trace and arrest these suspects to ensure justice prevails for the victims," said Dlomo. – SAnews.gov.za
