JOHANNESBURG - The Gauteng member of the executive council (MEC) for Community Safety, Sizakele Nkosi-Malobane, on Thursday, welcomed the sentencing of a serial rapist who was part of a rape syndicate operating within the taxi industry.
The Protea Magistrate's Court sentenced Nothile Dlamini on Wednesday afternoon.
Dlamini was amongst the serial rapists who raped, kidnapped, robbed and terrorised passengers within the taxi industry around the Booysens, Soweto and the Roodepoort policing precinct in 2017.
He was found guilty of rape, robbery and kidnapping and sentenced to an effective ten years imprisonment for rape, fifteen years for robbery with aggravating circumstances and five years for kidnapping.
"I wish to commend the criminal justice system for imposing a harsher sentence on this heartless criminal who preyed on these vulnerable women," Nkosi-Malobane said in a statement.
"A word of appreciation to the highly competent staff members and the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) team based at our victim empowerment centre, Ikhaya Lethemba, for ensuring that proper support was given to the victims for a successful conviction of this perpetrator. I am confident that his sentencing will lead to the arrest of his accomplices."
Nkosi-Malobane said Ikhaya Lethemba continued to be a sanctuary for survivors and victims of abuse, adding that committed staff members walk the path with them by providing psycho-social services, and medico-legal services during the court process.
"This is a clear demonstration of our commitment to support victims of gender based violence as we did with the Rhodes Park incident," said Nkosi-Malobane.
She added that this case was one of the cases that were ring-fenced by a highly competent investigation team at the center and given priority.
"One of such cases include the Rhodes Park incident where three men were sentenced to 15 years imprisonment each for robbery, life sentences for rape and murder at the South Gauteng High Court. The three were part of a gang that attacked two couples in October 2015."