Two life sentences for convicted rapist

A rapist who permanently altered the lives of his female victims has finally been sentenced to life imprisonment.

Nkosinathi Scopion Malinga (29) was sentenced on May 14 this year, in the Port Shepstone Magistrate’s court on charges of robbery with aggravating circumstances and rape.

He will serve a total of 80 years’ imprisonment, plus two life sentences.

Between 2014 and 2018, at least five reported cases of rape occurred in the Msinsini and Hibberdene areas, where the women were dragged into dense bush, assaulted and threatened with death at knife point.

According to police spokesman, Captain Petros Mpinge, the women were also gagged with pieces of their clothing, tied up or their heads were covered.

“He left his victims extremely traumatised to the point where a 24-year-old woman had to be hospitalised after threatening suicide. A suspect was arrested in 2016 but the case was withdrawn. However, DNA tests on another case linked this man to at least two other cases in Hibberdene,” said Mpinge.

Arresting him again posed a challenge as he had left the area. Informers were tasked and in 2018 he was found living in Isipingo, Durban.

Saps confirmed that he was in police custody during his trial.

Captain Devika Pillay of the Port Shepstone Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit (FCS) successfully finalised the cases.

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