Pretoria - Police in Gauteng on Tuesday welcomed the lengthy sentences handed to three convicted rapists - Lungile Nkambule, Welile Mazwi and Gift Lebogang Mokoena.
Gauteng police spokesperson Lungelo Dlamini said the trio was sentenced to more than twenty years each for the taxi-related sexual assault spree committed in Booysens in 2017.
"During November 2018, Lebogang Mokoena, a serial rapist, was sentenced to 13 life terms and 340 years imprisonment for other cases committed at Booysens, Meadowlands, Kliptown, Johannesburg Central, Rosebank and Alberton," said Dlamini.
"Criminal proceedings are still continuing on other cases against Mazwi who was linked with CCTV while using the victim’s bank card in a Florida rape case."
Dlamini said investigations into the taxi rape cases were escalated to provincial level after it was established that there had been an increase in rape cases, with most victims raped by taxi drivers.
"Twenty-six cases had been registered at the time. There were also similarities regarding the incidents of rape, kidnappings and robbery of the victims’ valuable goods. It is where it became clear that serial rapists were involved. The suspects were arrested through forensic evidence, identification parades, identification of victims’ properties and information received from members of the community," he said.
Two other men implicated in the rapes have already been jailed, while another three men are currently on trial.
"Nothile Dlamini and Tsepo Masiya are already serving their sentences after they were both sentenced to more than 60 years imprisonment during May and November 2018. Manqoba Ntsika Mdluli, Sphiwe Dlamini and Gerald Vusi Hlatshwaya are still on trial."