End of the road for the most wanted serial rapist!

A serial rapist was sentenced to a severe punishment. Archive photo

The Mtubatuba High Court in KZN has sentenced Bhekithemba Fanozi Nxumalo to a harsh sentence: he is sentenced to twelve life sentences plus an additional 75 years in prison.

The 42-year-old was found guilty on Tuesday, June 11, of several charges, including burglary with intent to rape and 17 counts of rape spanning from July 2012 to April 2021.

Nxumalo, who was previously one of the country’s most wanted criminals, pleaded guilty to the charges.

According to Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, regional spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Nxumalo’s crimes took place at various locations in King Cetshwayo district.

He targeted women; the youngest victim was just 14 years old.

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Kara described the cruelty of these crimes in detail, saying: “In some cases, he broke into the victims’ homes to commit the rapes, while others were attacked on their way home or on their way to school. Nxumalo, who all the victims knew, threatened them with a gun and in some cases raped them more than once.”

The victims received support from the Ngwelezane Thuthuzela Care Centre (TCC).

Nxumalo was eventually arrested after one of the victims identified him to community members, who then arrested him and handed him over to the police. DNA evidence also conclusively linked him to the crimes.

During the sentencing, lawyer Eric Xolani Sindane read victim statements highlighting the severe psychological trauma the victims had suffered, including fear of being alone, flashbacks and sleepless nights.

Some victims have stopped going to school out of fear. The court also ruled that Nxumalo was not fit to own a firearm and rejected his application for leave to appeal.