The Ga-Rankuwa magistrate’s court sentenced serial rapist Sbongiseni Njwabule Prince Ngwenya (25) to 300 years and five life sentences on Thursday.

Ngwenya was facing 48 counts which include rape, armed robbery, housebreaking and attempted murder.

He was found guilty on 38 counts: 16rapes, nine armed robberies, 13 housebreakings and one attempted murder.

These crimes were committed in Winterveldt and Klipgat between 2016 and2018.

Some of his victims were minors aged between 14 and 16.

In one of the incidents, Ngwenya together with one of his co-accused (who has also been sentenced) entered a house, shot at a man before grabbing a 14-year-old girl and another woman, and took them to the bushes and raping them.

NPA spokesperson Henry Mamothame said Ngwenya was arrested after he was suspected to have committed these crimes in these areas.

“DNA from the cheek was taken from him for testing and it came back positive.

“He was linked to 18 cases. He was traced and arrested in Winterveldt. He was breaking into houses, robbing people of their belongings and raping themduring the night.”

He said Ngwenya has been in custody ever since his arrest on September 1,2018.

One of his victims, whose identity is protected, said seeing Ngwenya being sentenced has made her feel relieved.

She said she was 16 when Ngwenya raped her.

“Sometimes I would feel like I would bump into him because I did not know him at the time. I would wonder if he might be looking at me. Now that he’s sentenced, I know he’ll never come out.

“My life completely changed after I was raped, it changed the way I look at myself, how I would be around other people. I even had to repeat my matric because I could not concentrate at school. The trial started during exams and I could not concentrate.”

She said one of the most difficult things to do was coming back from school and having to sleep in the same bed she was raped on.

She advised women who have experienced rape not to be ashamed of themselves.

“The pain that you feel is only known by you and no one else. Eventually, the pain goes away. Rape should not change who you are.”

Mamothame said the NPA welcomed the sentence and believed it will send astern warning to people who want to commit similar crimes.

“It shows that the criminal justice system is serious in dealing with such serious crimes.”

Thank you REKORD for the article

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