The Mtunzini High Court has sentenced 36-year-old Muzikhona Khehla Khumbulani Mthethwa to five terms of life imprisonment, in addition to a combined 155 years behind bars. The severe sentence was handed down on Friday following his conviction on multiple charges, including rape, attempted murder, and robbery.
Mthethwa was found guilty on seven counts of rape, two counts of attempted murder, three counts of robbery, as well as charges of house breaking and assault. His crimes, which terrorised the areas of Richards Bay, KwaMbonambi, and Empangeni, spanned from March 2017 until his arrest in 2021.
The court heard that Mthethwa’s criminal spree began in March 2017 in KwaMbonambi, where he raped a woman and strangled her with the intent to kill. In a separate incident in Richards Bay, he encountered three women. He fired a shot at one of the victims and proceeded to rape another, forcing the remaining women to witness the assault.
The investigation, led by a team of detectives from the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit, successfully linked Mthethwa to the series of crimes. He was apprehended in 2021 and subsequently charged with 21 counts.
Among his victims was a 13-year-old girl, whom he raped after breaking into the house where she was sleeping.
In addition to the prison terms, the court has ordered that Mthethwa’s name be entered into the National Register for Sex Offenders.
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