Sphamandla Zondo (28), the man dubbed as the railway rapist, has been sentenced to 25 years imprisonment.
Sphamandla was sentenced to 15 years for robbery with aggravating circumstances and 10 years for rape.
He was found guilty of the rape of a 28-year-old on April 13, 2016 in Glencoe.
The court heard how the woman was walking home after work, crossing the railway line in the process, to reach the residential area known as ‘Paradise’. As she neared the railway lines, she was grabbed from behind by Sphamandla who was armed with a weapon. He dragged her into a nearby bush where he undressed and raped her while threatening her with a knife.
He then stole her belongings, including her cellphone. Shocked and afraid, she ran home and alerted her landlady as to what had happened. The landlady took her to the Glencoe Police Station where a case was opened and the matter handed over to the Dundee FCS Unit.
Investigating Officer, Sergeant LNL Hlela, wasted no time in tracking down the criminal. An identification parade was organized and Sphamandla was immediately identified and arrested. On October 19, he was found guilty and sentenced to two counts, one for rape and the other for robbery.
With the 16 Days of Activism Campaign against Women and Children steadily approaching, the police are committed to combating violence, offering assistance and support to those affected and arresting all perpetrators. This arrest and sentencing of the railway rapist proves just that.
