UPDATE: Facebook rapist sentenced to four life terms

‘Heartless and ruthless’ were some of the words used by Judge Jay Monyemangene to describe Sibusiso Khoza during his sentencing at a Pretoria High Court sitting in the Benoni Magistrate’s Court on September 14.

Khoza was handed four life terms plus 98 years’ imprisonment for raping and robbing women he lured on Facebook after promising them fake jobs as childminders.

The 33-year-old committed these crimes against seven women in a mielie field in Putfontein between January and May last year after approaching his victims, aged between 26 and 42, on social media or through their relatives.

He was handed 15 years for each of the five counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances, five years for common robbery, 10 years for three counts of rape and four life terms for four further charges of rape.

Judge Monyemangene handed down three years imprisonment for assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm.

During judgement proceedings on September 2, Khoza, who faced 18 counts, was acquitted on two counts of attempted rape and a charge of possession of a firearm and ammunition, however, Judge Monyemangene sentenced him to five years on one of the counts of attempted rape.

The sentences will run concurrently and Khoza was declared unfit to possess a firearm.

Vulnerable
Judge Monyemangene said he can not fathom the humiliation, disrespect, violation and degradation the women suffered at Khoza’s hand.

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“You carefully masterminded and preyed on defenceless women who came from impoverished backgrounds. These women were vulnerable and unemployed; seeking a job with the hope of improving their lives,” he said.

Khoza was regarded as heartless and ruthless by the judge because when he robbed the women he didn’t spare a thought for them, leaving them for dead as they tried to make their way out of the mielie field.

The judge added he couldn’t imagine the state one of the women was in when she was repeatedly raped by Khoza in the presence of her toddler.

Using the name ‘Given’, Khoza, who lived in Barcelona in Ewatwa, would communicate with his victims from areas such as Vosloorus, Atteridgeville, Mpumalanga and Thembisa by cellphone to make arrangements for their ‘job appointments’.

He would wait for the women at the Benoni taxi rank, Northmead Mall or at fast food outlets then board a taxi with them to his ‘employer’ in Putfontein, where he claimed he worked as a gardener.

Knife
After arriving in Putfontein, Khoza would walk with the victims, making excuses that the road that they had to use passes through a mielie field.
He would then rape them and rob them of their belongings, including cellphones and money, before fleeing the scene.

One of his victims told the police that Khoza, who was in possession of a knife, wanted to rape her but didn’t after realising that she was on her menstrual cycle.

Another, who met Khoza at Northmead Mall, was asked for oral sex and one of his other victims, who sustained injuries after refusing to be raped by Khoza when she fought back, was assaulted with the metal buckle of his belt and had a rock thrown at her.

Furthermore, it was revealed in court that prior to Khoza’s arrest last year May, he worked at a panelbeater and had four children, aged 15, 12 and two eight-year-olds.

Benoni Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit’s (FCS) investigator Kaizer Mbele welcomed the sentence. Eric Sihlangu represented the State.

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