DNA nabs serving inmate for 2012 rape attacks

Published Aug 26, 2016

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Durban - A serving prisoner was on Friday, handed two life terms of imprisonment and a further 50 years after he was convicted in the Verulam Regional Court for raping two women and a 10-year old boy in 2012.

The 29-year old inmate, Mzwakhe Sithole, who was serving time for sexual assault in the Qalakabusha prison, was linked to the offences in the Verulam area through DNA, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said.

NPA spokeswoman Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said that Sithole was convicted of three counts of rape, two counts of robbery and one count of housebreaking with an intention to rob.

The court heard that in March 2012 Sithole and an accomplice wielding a gun and a knife accosted a couple on their way home in the Verulam area. The man managed to flee, but the woman was dragged into the bushes by Sithole and his accomplice, where they raped her.

In June 2012, a 10-year old boy was on his way to school in the Verulam area when Sithole approached the boy demanding money. When the youngster said he had none, he was dragged into the bushes and raped by Sithole. In the last incident, a 19 year-old woman was asleep in her Verulam home when Sithole broke in through an open window.

He threatened her with a knife and robbed her of her cell phone and then proceeded to rape her. “The accused was linked by DNA evidence in all the cases.

He was traced to Qalakabusha Prison where he is currently serving a sentence for sexual violation. He was summoned to appear in court for the above cases,” said Ramkisson-Kara.

Qalakabusha Prison is in Empangeni, while Verulam is about 40 kilometres north of Durban. Sithole was sentenced to two life sentences and 15 years for the three rapes, 15 years imprisonment for each count of the robbery with aggravating circumstances and 5 years imprisonment for house breaking.

The sentences will run concurrently.

African News Agency

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