North West High Court judge Andre Peterson on Thursday confirmed the death of serial rapist Johannes Jojo Shabangu in the holding cells on Wednesday.
Shabangu appeared before Peterson on Wednesday in the high court which sat in the Ga-Rankuwa magistrate’s court.
He pleaded guilty to 14 counts of rape and 11 of robbery with aggravating circumstances in a plea statement read by his attorney TG Sekgonyana.
Peterson found him guilty on all counts in line with his plea.
It was during an adjournment to give Sekgonyana time to consult with Shabangu on the victim impact statements that concerns were raised about the 35-year-old convicted serial rapist’s health.
He was foaming in the mouth and had convulsions before losing consciousness. The case was postponed to Thursday afternoon, so that Shabangu would receive medical attention.
On Thursday, Peterson declared the court proceedings finalised after he received the declaration of Shabangu’s death.
He ordered for an inquest docket to be registered to determine the cause of his death.
He further ordered that the death certificate be filed with the registrar of the North West High Court as soon as it becomes available.
Shabangu, who was always working with an accomplice, terrorised women in the Winterveldt area, northwest of Pretoria in 2012 to 2019.
He targeted women who were in the company of their male partners or companions.
Together with his accomplice, Shabangu would rob them at gunpoint, assault the males, and proceed to rape the women.
Thereafter, his accomplice would also rape the victims. The youngest victim was aged 15 at the time of the crimes.
He had given different versions about who his accomplice or accomplices were, telling the police at one point that he did not use only one individual.
Handing down judgment, Peterson said he was satisfied that Shabangu was guilty of the charges he had pleaded guilty to after he was linked to the rapes through DNA evidence.
Peterson said he was not surprised Shabangu could not remember the details of each charge as he said in his statement given the number and amount of time that has lapsed.
North West National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Henry Mamothame said the director of public Prosecutions in North West, Dr Rachel Makhari, and provincial police commissioner Lieutenant-General Sello Kwena lauded state advocate Nangamso Goloda and Sergeant Molwantoa Rapakgadi for their collaboration in ensuring a successful conviction amid the unfortunate passing of the accused before sentencing.
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