A 36-year-old South African man has been sentenced for a series of brutal murders and rapes of young girls in Embalenhle, Mpumalanga.
The Secunda regional court sentenced Themba Shongwe to nine life terms on Wednesday.
Starting in 2016, Shongwe embarked on a gruesome crime spree. His first victim was a 16-year-old girl, whom he attacked and robbed of her cellphone before raping her at a soccer field.
During the court proceedings, the jury was presented with disturbing accounts of Shongwe’s subsequent crimes.
Among his victims were young girls such as 11-year-old Nokulunga Nkutha, who was found dead after being reported missing in 2016. In 2017, Cynthia Masilela, 16, was discovered dead next to the municipality offices.
The body of Lerato Nkutha, 11, was found near a hair salon after going missing in 2018. The same year, Mihle Philisiwe Zinganto, 11, was found dead on a street.
The South African Police Service (SAPS) acting provincial commissioner, Major General Zeph Mkhwanazi, commended the hard work and dedication of the investigators involved in the case.
“His reign of terror made life hard for Embalenhle residents, but thanks to the detective work the court imposed a heavy sentence for each atrocity.
“We are glad this perpetrator has been removed from society for good after terrorising women. We hope the sentence will send a clear message that such acts will never be tolerated and this should serve as a deterrent to potential offenders,” Mkhwanazi said.
