Durban — A convicted Facebook serial rapist faces life imprisonment if the court does not deviate from the minimum prescribed sentence.
Philani Siyabonga Ndwandwe, 31, was convicted of five counts of rape and four counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances.
He is due to be sentenced in the Ntuzuma Magistrate’s Court on Thursday.
In aggravation of sentence, which was done straight after his conviction recently, State prosecutor Jenisha Sewbaran implored the court not to deviate from the minimum prescribed sentence.
Ndwandwe used Facebook to lure his victims to Durban, offering them prospective employment as child-minders and tuckshop assistants. Once they arrived in Inanda, he would take them to a secluded area and, at knifepoint, rob and rape them.
He did this to five women from 2018 to 2020. His reign of terror was thwarted by police who traced and arrested him.
“These crimes were not only deliberate but were premeditated. It was clear from the complainants’ evidence in court that the harrowing, degrading and traumatic experiences the complainants were forced to endure at the hands of the accused will have a profound and adverse emotional effect on all of them,” said Sewbaran in aggravation of sentence.
“The accused’s defence showed no substantial and compelling circumstances for the honourable court to deviate from the minimum sentences as reflected in the charges.”
On Wednesday, the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Social Development called for violent criminals to be handed tougher sentences.
“We want to applaud the police for working around the clock to ensure that the rapist was caught and brought to book. We have a lot of heartless criminals in our society who continue to rape and abuse women and children. We believe that justice will only be an answer when serial rapists, such as this one, are sent to prison for a lengthy period,” said spokesperson Mhlaba Memela.
He said it was apparent that Ndwandwe had been consistent in his actions, abusing innocent women and robbing them.
“Our court should be tougher and ensure that survivors get justice after they were violated by this abhorrent conduct of the man who was supposed to be a protector and creator of a safe environment for women and children.
“We need harsher sentences to deal with this repugnant crime that continues to terrorise women in our society.”
Mhlaba said the fight against woman abuse, rape and murder was the responsibility of all citizens, and “we need to play our role in ensuring women have freedom in our society and can walk even at night, without fearing for their lives”.
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