SOUTH Africa’s worst serial rapist Nkosinathi Phakathi has left gender activists angry by failing to apologise to his victims.
The 37-year-old appeared in the South Gauteng High Court, sitting in the Palm Ridge Regional Court in Ekurhuleni on Wednesday, 2 November. This after pleading guilty the previous day.
His lawyer, Lekau Kgokane, read a statement in which he explained how Phakathi ambushed his victims, mostly children aged between 12 and 16.
“I threatened them by telling them I had a knife and a gun and if they don’t want to get hurt, they must follow my instructions,” read the statement.
Phakathi pleaded guilty to 90 counts of rape, eight of compelled rape where he forced children to perform sexual acts or watch him rape others, 52 of kidnapping and several more of theft and assault.
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He walked on crutches as his right leg was amputated after he was moered, allegedly by community members, during his arrest.
Phakathi committed the crimes in Benoni, Daveyton, Putfontein and Crystal Park from 2012 until 17 March 2021 when he was arrested in Barcelona, Etwatwa.
He scouted homes where victims would be alone and pretended to be a municipality employee taking meter readings. He was linked to the rape cases through DNA.
His trial coincided with the second presidential summit on gender-based violence and femicide held in Midrand.
Sharol Dlamini of the Gauteng Department of Community Safety’s family justice unit said she wished Phakathi had addressed the court himself. “We wanted to hear him say ‘I account for this’. His victims deserve some sort of apology from him,” she said.
The matter was postponed to 8 November for judgment.
