THE MAN in the grey tracksuit sat staring at the ground, his chiskop shining in the court lights and his arms in crutches.
It seemed to take forever as close to 200 charges were read out in court.
THEN NKOSINATHI PHAKATHI PLEADED GUILTY TO 90 COUNTS OF RAPE!
When proceedings were done for the day, he walked from the court down the stairs still showing no emotions, leaning heavily on his crutches with his tracksuit knotted below his amputated right leg.
Most of Phakathi’s victims were young girls, who were raped on their way to school.
Facing charges in the South Gauteng High Court, sitting in the Palm Ridge Regional Court, Phakathi (37) further pleaded guilty to eight charges of compelled rape, 52 of kidnapping as well as several of theft and assault.
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The state withdrew more than 40 charges, mainly of possession of firearm and sexual assault.
He committed his crimes in Benoni, Daveyton, Putfontein and Crystal Park – his nine-year reign of terror starting in 2012 and coming to an end in 2021.
Cops arrested him in Barcelona in Etwatwa on 12 March.
He scouted homes, pretending to be working for the municipality and checking on meter readings, where he found victims who were on their own.
Phakathi was linked to the rape cases through DNA analysis and his method of operation.
Sharol Dlamini, from the Gauteng Department of Community Safety, said the age group of children who were gruesomely raped was shocking.
“You might think this is a victory, but it’s not,” she sounded a sombre warning.
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“We now have a traumatised community of children who need to grow up and one day, become parents,” she said.
“Unfortunately, boys who have been forced into rape or watch rape never recover.
“In the end, the community will judge their behaviour later while not understanding what happened to them,” she said.
The matter was postponed to Wednesday, 2 November, for Phakathi to take the stand.
