42 life terms plus 791 years for Ekurhuleni Serial Rapist

Tensions ran high in the courtroom yesterday as victims of Nkosinathi Phakathi, the Ekurhuleni Serial Rapist, struggled to contain their emotions during his sentencing in the Pretoria High Court, sitting at the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court.

Many of the victims, overwhelmed by the trauma they had endured, were visibly shaken and fought back tears.

Some shouted insults at Phakathi, expressing their anger and pain, while he remained unbothered, keeping his face down to prevent the media from taking pictures.

He was sentenced to 42 life terms and an additional 791 years of direct imprisonment.

Phakathi’s conviction follows a lengthy trial that revealed his involvement in a string of rapes and sexual assaults that occurred between 2012 and March 2021 in several areas in Ekurhuleni.

He was found guilty in November last year of 90 charges of rape, four compelled rape, three of causing a child to witness a sexual act, 43 kidnapping, four theft, two sexual assault and two charges of assault with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

Judge Lesego Makolomakwe said Phakathi was not genuinely remorseful and had only pleaded guilty due to the state’s overwhelming evidence against him.

Makolomakwe said she considered details of the victim impact reports, showing that the incidents were extremely traumatic for the victims, some still struggling with the after-effects.

Phakathi’s victims were between 9 and 44 years old.

His modus operandi was to con his victims by posing as a meter box or geyser installer, home inspector or food distributor. He would also approach victims by asking them for directions.

He was arrested in March 2021 in Barcelona, Etwatwa, after police searched for him for years.

Phakathi’s leg was amputated as a result of an injury he sustained when he was shot on the day of his arrest.