A 44-year-old KwaZulu-Natal man has been sentenced to three life terms and a total of 58 years imprisonment. His crimes? Raping and kidnapping minor children over a 14-year period.
In a statement released on April 26, police spokesperson Captain Nqobile Gwala, explains the man was sentenced on Thursday, April 23, at the Estcourt Regional Court.
According to Captain Gwala, Phelelani Mazibuko began preying on children in 2003. He would target homes where there were only women. He would then take the minor victims to nearby bushes and rape them at gunpoint.
Investigations found Mazibuko targeted children from the ages of nine to 17 years from 2003 to 2017.
“He would enter the homes between dusk and dawn, armed with a firearm and instruct the older females to wake the children,” says Captain Gwala.
One of the children was also stabbed during the ordeal. He targeted victims from Esigodlweni, KwaMatshesi and Mphandweni areas.
Following vigorous investigations by Estcourt Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit detectives, the suspect was positively linked to five cases through DNA.
Mazibuko was eventually arrested in 2018 and kept in custody throughout the trial.
For three cases each, he was sentenced to life imprisonment for rape and five years’ imprisonment for kidnapping. For other two cases, he was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment for rape, five years’ imprisonment for kidnapping on each case.
He further received three years imprisonment for assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. This is in the case where the victim was stabbed. He was also declared unfit to possess a firearm.
Mazibuko’s name will be included in the National Register for Sexual Offenders and the National Child Protection Register.
The KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Khombinkosi Jula commended the investigating officers. Their persistence in solving the cases and sending well-prepared dockets playing a key role in the successful prosecution.
