A South African serial rapist, Nkosinathi Emmanuel Phakathi (40), has been sentenced to 42 life terms and 791 years and 6 months in prison by the Pretoria High Court.
In a statement on Friday, October 4, 2024, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) announced that Phakathi was also declared unfit to possess a firearm, and his name will be added to both the National Register for S*xual Offenders and the National Child Protection Register. The court further ruled that his victims must be informed when he is considered for parole, allowing them to make representations.
Phakathi was found guilty of 90 counts of r*pe, 4 counts of compelled r*pe, 3 counts of forcing a child to witness a s*xual act, 43 counts of kidnapping, 2 counts of assault, and 4 counts of theft, with the verdict delivered on November 8, 2022.
These crimes, committed between June 2012 and March 2021 in Ekurhuleni, primarily targeted school children, with the youngest victim being just 9 years old, and the oldest, 44. Initially charged with 203 counts, Phakathi ultimately faced 148 charges after 55 lesser charges were dropped. He pleaded guilty to these charges, with his confession read aloud in court.
Phakathi often targeted victims on their way to or from school or work, or even inside their homes. Posing as an electrician, he would gain access to households, raping victims, sometimes in front of children, and forcing others to witness the assaults. In some cases, he r*ped multiple victims at once.
He was arrested in March 2021 and linked to the crimes through DNA evidence and a modus operandi report. Warrant Officer Tlala John Mokoena of the South African Police Service investigated 96 cases related to his crimes.
During sentencing, Phakathi’s legal team requested leniency, citing his 3 years and 6 months in custody and his physical inability to reoffend after losing a leg during his arrest. However, prosecutor Advocate Salome Scheepers argued against leniency, stressing the severity of his crimes, including forcing young boys to r*pe their female friends, and his lack of remorse.
Scheepers also read victim impact statements, including one from a woman who was a virgin at the time of the assault and expressed that Phakathi had stolen her innocence, preventing her from participating in a virginity testing ceremony.
Acting Judge Lesego Makolomakwe ruled that Phakathi showed no remorse and was beyond rehabilitation. She emphasized the court’s duty to protect communities and found no reason to deviate from the minimum prescribed sentence.
The NPA welcomed the sentence, hoping it sends a strong message about the seriousness with which s*xual offenses are treated. They also commended the dedication of Investigating Officer Mokoena, whose work led to Phakathi’s conviction and sentencing
“The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) welcomed the sentence, hoping that the sentence will send a strong message that the NPA takes matters of s*xual offences seriously,” NPA stated. “We also thank the dedication and commitment by the Investigating Officer, warrant officer Mokoena which led to the conviction and sentence”.
