A terrorist in a Mpumalanga community has been sentenced to four times life sentences in prison plus another 287 years.
Monica Nyuswa, National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokeswoman, said Henry Hlahla, 42, was found guilty in the High Court on Friday of 86 incidents in the Nkomazi area.
Hlahla stalked his victims in the early hours of the morning and threatened them with a knife, robbed them and then raped them.
This reign of terror lasted for information before the court from 2010 to 2017. He took his victims to a remote area to rape them and then robbed belongings like cellphones and wallets.
Nyuswa says in some cases he would even attack women in their homes and rap them with a bang over his head in front of their children.
Hlahla was arrested after he stole a cellphone from one of his victims and was linked to one of the crimes through a DNA test.
Most of the victims were investigated and received counseling at Tonga Thuthuzela Care Center.
More than 140 charges were initially filed against Hlahla, but he was found guilty of 86 counts. The offenses include rape, aggravated robbery, housebreaking, firearm firing, theft, attempted murder, malicious property damage, sexual assault, law enforcement, as well as possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition.
After a lengthy trial, Judge Bruce Langa found no material circumstances to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence.
The court ruled that Hlahla’s name should be entered in the National Register for Sexual Offenders.
Adv. Matric Luphondo, acting prosecuting director of public prosecutions, says he hopes the heavy sentence will make similar rapists who want to attack vulnerable women and children think twice.
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