Johannesburg - An Eastern Cape serial rapist who stalked and preyed on young women and schoolgirls in Mdantsane and East London has been sentenced to 208 years by the Bisho High Court.
A government statement said in a statement on Thursday that Luvuyo Malawana Mananga from NU16 in Mdantsane was found guilty earlier this month for a crime spree between 2007 and 2011, which included 11 rapes.
Government Communication and Information System acting director general Phumla Williams said: "We commend the police and the judicial system for their tireless efforts in ensuring that justice has been served in this case and that this man is removed from society for the rest of his life.
"This sentence should serve as a deterrent and warning to would-be rapists that the law will bite hard and perpetrators found guilty of violence against women will be punished," said Williams.
She said fighting women abuse and gender-based violence was a priority of government and she also encouraged communities to work together with police, prosecutors and courts to ensure that criminals are arrested and convicted of all crimes committed in society.