The High Court in Mpumalanga, sitting in Breyten, has sentenced serial rapist Nkosikhona Ntshalintshali, 36, to life and additional 110 years imprisonment for the string of rapes he committed in Piet Retief.
Ntshalintshali pleaded guilty to the crimes and was subsequently convicted on four counts of rape, four counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances, two counts of kidnapping, and two counts of housebreaking with intent to commit a crime.
“These offences were committed in Mafred Homes, Phola Park and Kempville Magadeni section in Piet Retief. During the period between November 2008 to June 2009, the accused would break into his victims’ homes, threaten them with a knife, and rob them of their valuables,” said Monica Nyuswa, Mpumalanga regional spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).
In some instances, Nyuswa said Ntshalintshali would assault his victims.
“Some of the victims were accosted while walking on the street and dragged to secluded areas. In one incident which happened on November 11, 2008, the complainant was walking in the vicinity of Mafred Homes when she came across the accused (Ntshalintshali) who demanded a cellphone,” said Nyuswa.
He dragged her to the railway line and raped her.
“The complainant did not know the perpetrator but reported her ordeal to the police,” said Nyuswa.
“Ntshalintshali, together with his two unknown perpetrators, continued with his rape spree again on June 5, 2009, when they confronted two complainants – a man and a woman who were walking on the street in the Kempville Magadeni section. The accused and his co-perpetrator demanded the victims’ cellular phones and assaulted a man with a knobkierie, injuring his leg and taking his shoes.”
Furthermore, the assailants threatened the woman with a knife and all three of them took turns to rape her. The NPA said after the ordeal, the rapists fled the scene with the woman’s clothes.
Through police investigations, Ntshalintshali was arrested in 2020 and was linked to the crimes through DNA.
In aggravation of the sentence, senior State advocate Themba Lusenga argued that the accused had expressed regret, but shown no remorse for his actions.
“The amount of violence used to commit these offences was so severe that it cannot be brushed aside and go unpunished. The accused had no choice but to plead guilty because the evidence against him was overwhelming,” Lusenga submitted.
The State asked the court to impose the prescribed minimum sentence.
Additionally, the State presented the victim impact statements compiled by court preparation officer Lindokuhle Sithole, which gave details about the trauma caused by the accused’s crimes.
“The court found no substantial and compelling circumstances warranting deviation from the prescribed ordained sentence. The accused was sentenced to life and 110 years imprisonment and the court further declared him unfit to possess a firearm in terms of Section 103 of the Firearms Control Act 60 of 2000,” said Nyuswa.
Meanwhile, acting director of public prosecutions in Mpumalanga, Sonja Ntuli commended the prosecutor, court preparation officer and the police for the meticulous collection and presentation of evidence.
“This sentence is testimony of our commitment in the fight against the scourge of gender-based violence in our communities and it brings closure to the victims and their families,” said Ntuli.
-IOL
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