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Victims and their families expressed relief as the South Africa Pretoria High Court, sitting in Palm Ridge, handed down a severe sentence to an Ekurhuleni serial offender, Nkosinathi Emmanuel Phakathi (40).
Phakathi was sentenced to 42 life terms and an additional 791 years and six months in prison.
He was convicted on multiple counts, including serious offenses such as assault and theft, on 8 November 2022.
The crimes took place in and around Ekurhuleni from June 2012 until his arrest in March 2021.
North Gauteng NPA spokeswoman, Lumka Mahanjana, welcomed the sentence, describing it as one of the most significant ever given.
“We hope this sentence will send a strong message that offences of this nature will not be tolerated,” Mahanjana said. She added that the victims included minors, with the youngest being nine years old.
Initially, Phakathi faced over 200 charges, but some were withdrawn. In court, he pleaded guilty to 148 charges, and his statement was read aloud.
Phakathi’s method involved deceiving victims by pretending to be a service worker. He was linked to the crimes through DNA evidence.
Warrant Officer Tlala John Mokoena, who investigated the case, expressed his joy at seeing justice served. “I had a great team working with me to achieve this success,” Mokoena said.
Acting Judge Lesego Makolomakwe agreed with the state’s argument that Phakathi showed no remorse.
One of the victims’ family members said, “We are relieved even though the pain remains. We thank the police for their efforts to bring justice.”
Another victim shared, “We thought we had been let down,but we’re happy to smile today. With time, we hope to heal.”-Daily Sun
derick.khumalo