Rapist gets double life sentence

I don’t know why I raped them. I know I was wrong

LINKED by DNA, a serial rapist who brutally raped, terrorised and robbed women in eSikhaleni for almost a decade will never again be free.

Thokozani Mabuza (30), a well-known career criminal already serving time for a separate offence, was on Wednesday found guilty at Mtunzini High Court of 23 charges, including several rapes, robberies, kidnappings and house break-ins.

After evading the criminal justice system for years, on Thursday the former herdboy, originally from eManguzi, was sentenced to two life sentences and an additional 90 years.

These he will serve concurrently with his current 20 year sentence.

The sex pest father-of-three was nabbed for a separate crime earlier this year. During his arrest, police took a DNA sample which later matched evidence found on nine rape cases that occurred in eSikhaleni between 2014 and 2017.

Police went in search of the victims, who had relocated.

The victims, including an 11-year-old girl, came face-to-face with Mabuza for the first time in court, and bravely detailed their brutal attacks.

“If you scream, I will kill you’

During the trial, the court learnt how Mabuza targeted women who were walking alone early in the morning, or would break into people’s homes and sexually abuse them before robbing them of cellphones and cash at knifepoint.

The victims all said he would use their jackets, sheets or blankets to ensure he could not be identified.

Through several testimonies, it was revealed that, once he had identified victims, he would drag them into isolated bushes and threaten them at knifepoint.

One victim said she was walking home from work after 11pm when Mabuza approached.

"If you scream, I will kill you."

"That is what he said before he cut my thighs and poked my back with a knife. I was bleeding but he didn’t care and he continued,” said one victim.

His youngest victim (11) told court that he broke into their home and brutally raped her.

“I was very afraid when he entered the house. It was so painful when he took my virginity, also raping me from the back,” she said, bravely describing the incident in court.

“I had nightmares and couldn’t go to school. I was afraid to go and play with other children, and I was very angry all the time,” she said.

Other victims also told the court how their lives were destroyed by the crimes.

“I was married but my husband left when he heard the news. He rented a room and stopped supporting me and started drinking heavily. He died two months later,” she explained.

Most victims told the court they are living in fear and are still grappling to come to terms with what happened to them.

“I was fired because I couldn’t concentrate at work and I kept mixing up the ingredients,” said one.

While the victims are slowly taking back power over their lives, the career criminal with more than 44 cases opened against him over the last 10 years told court he does not know why he committed the rapes.

“I don’t know why I did it. I would just see myself doing it. I know I was wrong and will accept the punishment,” he said.

Career criminal sentenced to two life terms plus 90 years