The sentencing of the Ekhuruleni rapist, who pleaded guilty to 148 crimes including rape with his victims ranging from ages 10 to 44, has been postponed to next year for the defence to hand in a psychosocial report.

Nkosinathi Phakathi (36) appeared in the Pretoria High Court sitting in the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court on December 8 where he again kept his face down throughout the proceedings to prevent the media from taking pictures.

Phakathi pleaded guilty to 148 crimes relating to rape, kidnapping, theft and assault with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

He was found guilty of 90 charges of rape, compelled rape (four), causing a child to witness a sexual act (three), kidnapping (43), theft (four), sexual assault (two) and assault with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm (two).

Phakathi pretended to install meter boxes or geysers or said he was a house inspector or a food distributor or someone looking for directions when approaching his victims.

Phakathi would allegedly rob and rape his victims while threatening to kill them if they reported the matter to the police.

He was arrested in March last year in Barcelona, Etwatwa, after police searched for him for years following a series of rape cases reported in various areas between 2012 and 2021.

Phakathi’s lawyer Advocate Lekau Kgokane told the court that due to a series of challenges, the report hasn’t been finalised.

He stated that the defence has managed to secure the services of a psychologist and the report can only be made available on March 1. The matter was then postponed to March 27.