A serial rapist who preyed upon women in the Bergville, Ematsheni and Ladysmith areas was recently convicted.
The Pietermaritzburg High Court sentenced Thokozani Joseph Kubheka (34) to 10 life sentences plus 202 years’ imprisonment.
Kubheka stood accused of 34 counts, which included 16 counts of rape, nine counts of housebreaking, seven counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances, as well as two of kidnapping.
Kubheka was a cunning criminal who preyed on the Bergville, Ematsheni, Roosboom and Ladysmith communities.
The accused would observe and gather information about certain premises, looking for homes where there were only female occupants. He would break into the houses during the night and early hours of the morning.
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Once in the premises, he would threaten his victims with a firearm, after which he would rape and often rob them. The accused was quite meticulous in making sure he evaded capture and in most instances he was unidentifiable to his victims.
His reign of terror began in 2009 and continued until his capture earlier this year.
A link investigator from the Ladysmith Family Violence, Child Protection & Sexual Offences Unit (FCS) arrested the accused after his DNA profile linked him to the crimes. He was sentenced to 10 life terms for rape, 105 years for robbery, 72 years for housebreaking and theft, and 10 years for kidnapping.
The KwaZulu-Natal Acting Provincial Commissioner, Major General Bheki Langa, commended the Ladysmith FCS team for thoroughly investigating the cases which led to the successful prosecution of the accused.
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