A Mpumalanga serial rapist who abducted women and held them captive while repeatedly raping them has been sentenced to five life terms and an additional 18 months.
The Ermelo Regional Court handed down the sentence to 25-year-old Sandile Hopewell Ngozo on Monday. He was found guilty on five counts of rape and three counts of kidnapping.
While combined these sentences amount to 176 years and six months, the court ordered them to run concurrently. This means the sex predator will effectively serve only 25 years in prison.
Rapes ocurred from 2019 to 2022
Ngozo’s reign of terror stretched from September 2019 to December 2022 in Ermelo and Breyten’s KwaZanele township. His victims were aged between 15 and 27 years.
According to National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Monica Nyuswa, the court heard harrowing details of how Ngozo ambushed or lured his victims before keeping them against their will.
“The Sun City victim was walking on the street when she was accosted by the accused and his unknown accomplices. Ngozo grabbed her, pulled her to the roadside, and raped her. He then kept the victim in his place against her will and continued to rape her,” she said.
Nyuswa said the KwaZanele victims were also accosted while taking a walk.
“The two victims were walking on the street when the accused approached them and asked them to come with him to his place. The accused was known to one of the victims. Upon arrival, Ngozo locked them inside the house for several days. During [this time] he continued to rape one of the victims,” she said.
“The victims managed to escape at night and reported the rape ordeal to the police. One of the victims was able to identify the accused …and was linked to other crimes through DNA.”
Pled not guilty
In court, Ngozo pleaded not guilty and claimed consent. However, state prosecutor Chané Rothman presented credible evidence, including DNA analysis and a J88 medical report. These confirmed injuries to the victim’s private area.
The victims also testified about the same modus operandi Ngozo used when accosting them. The court found their accounts credible, convicting him as charged.
During sentencing, Rothman stressed the seriousness of gender-based violence and urged the court to impose the minimum penalty. Victim Impact Statements detailed the ongoing emotional and psychological trauma endured by the women.
The NPA has lauded the sentence as a reflection of their commitment to tackling violence against women and children.
“The NPA welcomes the sentence reaffirming our unwavering commitment to prosecuting gender-based violence crimes, especially those targeting women, which violate constitutional rights to dignity, security, and privacy,” Nyuswa said.
Ngozo was also declared unfit to work with children or possess a firearm. And his name will be entered into the national sexual offenders register.
