The Mtubatuba High Court has sentenced Bhekithemba Fanozi Nxumalo (42), to 12 terms of life and 75 years imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to the housebreaking with intent to rape and 17 counts of rape he committed between July 2012 and April 2021.
The offences were committed in various areas within the King Cetshwayo District, where Nxumalo preyed on several females, with the youngest being 14 years old.
In one instance he broke into the home of the complainants and raped them, while other complainants were accosted on their way home, or either on their way to or from school.
Nxumalo, who was unknown to all the complainants, used a weapon to threaten the complainants and he raped some of them more than once.
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The complainants were taken to the Ngwelezane Thuthuzela Care Centre (TCC) for the necessary support.
Nxumalo was eventually arrested after the last complainant was able to describe him to members of the community.
They conducted a search and when they apprehended Nxumalo, they handed him over to the police.
The complainant then identified him as her attacker. Nxumalo was also positively linked to the offences by DNA evidence.
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In aggravation of the sentence, Adv. Eric Xolani Sindane, handed in Victim Impact Statements, compiled by some of the complainants and facilitated by Court Preparation Officer Sithembile Cebekhulu.
All of them said that they were left psychologically traumatised following the incident and are now terrified of being alone.
They also mentioned having flashbacks from the incident and experiencing sleepless nights.
Some of the complainants said that they did not return to school following the incident as they were afraid.
Nxumalo will serve an effective term of life imprisonment. In addition, the court deemed him unfit to possess a firearm and his application for leave to appeal was refused.
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