By Staff Reporter
news@alexreporter.co.za
Gift Mkhwanazi, the beast of Tembisa, has been found guilty of 104 charges related to multiple rapes of 33 women.
The guilty verdict from the Johannesburg High Court means Mkhwanazi goes down in history as South Africa’s second worst serial rapist. The worst is Moses Sithole, who raped at least 40 women and murdered them between 1994 and 1995.
During Mkhwanazi’s trial, 19 women testified against him for his rape of the 33 women.
All the witnesses who took the stand said Mkhwanazi had wielded a knife or gun when he raped them. They said the rapes always took place at night.
The judge said most of the victims were traumatised when testifying.
Mkwanazi – who remained completely calm throughout the trial and denied the charges against him – pleaded with the court for a lighter sentencing. He said he was the only breadwinner for his children and his parents back home in KZN.
Victims who were in the court gallery told Scrolla.Africa that they are expecting the court to hand down a heavy sentence.
One victim said she was raped four times on the night of 13 January 2018. She said she hoped Mkhwanazi would get over 300 years in prison. “I am disappointed that he didn’t even apologise to us.”
Another said she was only 19-years-old when Mkhwanazi attacked her and her two friends.
For seven hours, from 21:00 to 03:00, she says Mkhwanazi repeatedly raped and assaulted her and her friends.
This article was first published by Scrolla.Africa
