Captain Thulani Zwane said Bigboy Jiyane was sentenced on Thursday to life and 60 years imprisonment to run concurrently for the crimes committed in December 2011.

On December 3, 2011, Jiyane raped a 33-year-old woman before fleeing with her handbag.

Jiyane raped an 18-year-old woman on December 10 at Mandlankala, Esikhawini.

"He approached the victim who was walking with her boyfriend, tied the man with a belt, and raped the victim in front of her boyfriend," said Zwane.

"He also took her cellphone, and cash from her boyfriend, and fled the scene."

He was arrested on December 30, 2011, and was identified at an identification parade, Zwane added.

Provincial police commissioner Lt-Gen Mmamonnye Ngobeni welcomed the sentence and said it should serve as a warning.

"Such people do not deserve to be in our community and Bigboy must rot in jail," Ngobeni said in a statement.