Rapist gets three life terms

A 35-year-old rapist, Bhekizitha Mbatha, was sentenced to three life imprisonment terms by the Protea Magistrate’s Court on Monday for repeatedly raping three women in Diepkloof, Soweto.

He would have remained unknown if he hadn’t savagely pistol-whipped the one person who knew him.

“Mbatha was convicted after a lengthy trial of 15 witnesses that included victims, medical doctors, and forensic analysts,” Gauteng National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane said on Thursday.

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“He was convicted of three counts of rape, four of robbery with aggravating circumstances and three of assault with intent to inflict grievous bodily harm.”

Mbatha accosted the first victim in December 2014. She was 14 years old at the time and was in the company of a male friend.

He pointed a firearm at them and took them into the bush.

“He repeatedly raped her without a condom and thereafter demanded money and a cellphone from her friend,” Mjonondwane said.

A case was opened, and samples were sent to the laboratory for testing. No one was arrested as his identity was unknown.

“On 1 July, 2018, Mbatha pounced on victims coming from a church service in the early hours of the morning.

“He demanded cellphones and money from them and took them to veld where he raped the victim in the presence of her male friend. When the friend tried to help the rape victim, he was brutally assaulted in the head with a firearm.”

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After leaving those two, he did the same thing to two other people (rape and robbery at gunpoint). But Mbatha made a mistake when he pistol-whipped the rape survivor’s friend.

“The male robbery victim knew the accused and later pointed him out to the police the same day. On arrest at his home, money, takkies, a cap and clothes that were robbed from the first victims were recovered,” Mjonondwane said.

“DNA samples were collected from both victims and positively linked to Mbatha. His DNA was also linked to the 2014 matter.

Regional Court prosecutor Thabo Dease argued Mbatha would have continued with his reign of terror had he not been identified.

He further argued that he was merciless and stripped the victims of their dignity by repeatedly raping them in the presence of their companions.

Mjonondwane noted the NPA applauded the investigating officer, Sergeant Mogari Andrew Molose, and the prosecutor for ensuring that Mbatha was removed from society, saving many citizens from further harm.

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