Accused serial rapist found guilty on 28 of 31 charges

Accused serial rapist Amos Ngubeni, after his arrest one year ago, was found guilty by the Pretoria High Court on Thursday 13 August 2020 on 28 of 31 charges. 

The charges include rape; robbery with aggravating circumstances; kidnapping; housebreaking; assault to cause grievous bodily harm; theft and pointing anything likely for one to believe is a firearm. He will return to court for sentencing on 14 September 2020.

NGUBENI ACCUSED OF BEING A SERIAL RAPIST 

Gauteng Commissioner of police Lieutenant General Elias Mawela welcomed the guilty verdict against Ngubeni. He was found guilty on 28 of 31 charges, 13 of which were rape. 

A series of rape cases had been reported in Duduza and Tsakane, with some dating back to 2011, where most victims had been raped during a hijacking or a house robbery.

Taking on the investigation in 2017, Sergeant Johnson Motlalepula Nkoana’s immediate analysis of the modus operandi in these rape cases diverted his attention to hijacking cases and this ultimately led to the linking of two suspected hijackers, to a series of rape cases through applying forensic techniques and processes. 

The two accused of acting serial rapists were revealed as Ngubeni and Anton Sithole. The pair were found to be linked to more rape cases reported in Balfour in Mpumalanga, Thabazimbi in Limpopo, and Umkomaas in KwaZulu Natal, according to police. 

“Investigators in the SAPS have been urged to prioritise the investigation of crimes against women, children and vulnerable persons as the Service commits to working hard to fight the scourge of gender-based violence,” said Brigadier Mathapelo Peters. 

SLAMMED WITH AN ADDITIONAL 354 YEARS 

Sithole pleaded guilty and has already been serving time since December 2019 on 14 life sentences and an additional 354 years for multiple counts of rape and other serious and violent crimes.

Lieutenant General Mawela, reiterating the SAPS commitment to leaving no stone unturned in the priority investigation of gender-based violence, said: 

“The volume of work and the psychological demand that comes with such an investigation that even stretches across provinces, can take their toll on any investigator. Therefore, on behalf of the management of the SAPS, I want to commend Sergeant Nkoana for seeing this complex investigation through. His innovativeness and multi-faceted approach to this particular investigation is exactly what is meant by effectively mobilising maximum resources.”