Pretoria – A 34-year-old serial rapist, Thokozani Prince Mazibuko, has been handed three life sentences by the high court in Mbombela after being convicted on four counts of rape, three counts of house breaking, two counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances.
Mpumalanga police spokesperson, Brigadier Selvy Mohlala said Mazibuko was additionally sentenced on one count of theft.
“Thokozani Prince Mazibuko was found guilty on 30 August 2022 after the court was satisfied with the overwhelming evidence brought by the police against him. It is said that Mazibuko terrorised women in Nkomazi between 2013 and 2017,” Mohlala said.
“The court heard how during the night of 15 January 2013, the accused together with his accomplice, being armed with a firearm broke into a house in Langloop where they found a 16-year-old girl who was with her mother at the time. They then held both of them hostage, took a mobile phone and raped the minor in front of her mom before they fled the scene.”
“On 23 January 2013 at night, Mazibuko and his two accomplices were armed with a firearm and a knife when they broke into another house in Boschfontein.
“They found a 16-year-old girl who was seven months pregnant. They took her mobile phone as well as a laptop charger before they dragged her out of the house and summoned a third suspect to join them. The three then gang raped the pregnant young woman in the bushes,” Mohlala said.
The assailants later fled the scene and the molested teenager went to get help at a nearby house.
“The accused further broke into another house at Langloop during the night of 10 February 2013. He then found a young woman, aged 25, with her two children aged 1 and 7. The accused threatened his victim that he will stab her if she did not co-operate then raped her in front of her children before he fled the scene.”
In January 2017, Mazibuko also raped a 19-year-old woman at Boschfontein.
“The female victim is said to have been walking in the street then came across the accused and his accomplice who were both armed with a firearm and a knife. They then took her cash as well as her mobile phone then dragged her to a nearby bushes. They then gang raped her before they fled the scene with the robbed items,” Mohlala said.
The incidents were all reported to the police and the dockets were assigned to the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit in Tonga.
“The cases were prioritised by the investigators who spent sleepless nights in an effort to make a breakthrough. They then connected the dots in the tour of their investigation and discovered that they were dealing with a serial rapist who was on the loose,” Mohlala said.
“It was not long before they arrested the accused at Langloop on 16 January 2020 for a separate rape case which occurred in Matsulu which has not yet been finalised. The astute members managed to link the accused to the alluded incidents of rape, house robberies, house breaking and theft.”
During Mazibuko’s court appearance, police successfully opposed bail and he was remanded in custody throughout the trial.
Mazibuko never exposed his accomplices during the trial, even when he was ultimately sentenced on Thursday.
For the three counts of rape, Mazibuko was sentenced to life on each count. On the fourth count of rape, he was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment.
“Besides the three life sentences that was imposed upon the accused, he was slapped with an additional 63 years imprisonment which are outlined as follows: for the three counts of house breaking, the accused was sentenced to five years on each count. For the two counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances, the accused was sentenced to 15 years for each count. Lastly, for the count of theft, the accused was sentenced to three years imprisonment,” Mohlala said.
“The court took a decision that one count of house breaking as well as the count of theft will run concurrently meanwhile another count of house breaking will run concurrently with one count of robbery with aggravating circumstances as well as a count of rape. Another count of house breaking will run concurrently with one count of rape.”
The court also decided that the sentence on a count of robbery with aggravating circumstances will run concurrently with the sentence on one count of rape.
Mazibuko was declared unfit to possess a firearm and his name will be entered into the national register of sex offenders.
He was also declared unsuitable to work with children.
Provincial commissioner of police in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant-General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela has “gladly” welcomed the stiff sentences.
“This sentence imposed on the perpetrator of gender-based violence is fitting and we hope it will serve as a deterrent to others who might consider emulating the actions of the accused,” she said.
IOL