SERIAL RAPIST SENTENCED TO 73 YEARS' IMPRISONMENT FOR BRUTAL ATTACKS ON WOMEN IN PIENAAR
KASiBCAFRiCA©®™
BY: CHANON LECODEY MERRICKS | ONLINE EDITOR
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) welcomes the sentence imposed by the Nelspruit Sexual Offences Court on 35-year-old serial rapist, Mxolisi Simon Khoza. Khoza was sentenced to a cumulative 73 years' imprisonment following his conviction on two counts of rape, two counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances, and one count of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm. The offences were committed in Pienaar, outside Nelspruit, during May 2023.
The victims, who did not know their attacker, reported the incidents to the police, leading to investigations that ultimately resulted in Khoza's arrest and conviction.
In the first incident, which occurred on 05 May 2023, a 22-year-old woman was at home preparing breakfast at approximately 08:00 while caring for a three-year-old child. Khoza entered the house wearing a balaclava and armed with a knife. He threatened to kill the victim if she resisted. When she screamed for help, he tied her hands with wire before raping her. He covered the child with a blanket and used the victim's T-shirt to cover her face before fleeing the scene. He stole a Premo X85 cellphone valued at approximately R1 500 and coins worth less than R10. The victim was subsequently taken to the Rob Ferreira Thuthuzela Care Centre, where she received medical treatment and psychosocial support.
In the second incident, which occurred on 26 May 2023, a 29-year-old woman was waiting alone for a taxi when Khoza approached her from behind and stabbed her in the left foot. He threatened to kill her if she continued screaming and forcibly dragged her to a nearby graveyard, where he raped her on top of a grave. He then robbed her of R1 200 in cash and a Samsung A23 cellphone valued at approximately R4 000 before fleeing the scene.
DNA evidence linked Khoza to both offences. The forensic evidence proved instrumental in strengthening the State's case and ultimately led to his arrest and successful prosecution.
Faced with overwhelming evidence against him, including the DNA results, Khoza pleaded guilty to all charges.
In aggravation of sentence, State Prosecutor John Mahlwele argued that Khoza posed a danger to society and that gender-based violence remains a scourge in South Africa. He submitted that the accused deliberately targeted vulnerable women who were alone and defenceless, demonstrating a complete disregard for their dignity, bodily integrity, and safety. Mahlwele further argued that only a lengthy term of direct imprisonment would adequately protect society and deter would-be offenders.
The court sentenced Khoza to 15 years' imprisonment on the first count of rape, 15 years' imprisonment on each count of robbery with aggravating circumstances, 23 years' imprisonment on the second count of rape, and five years' imprisonment for assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm.
The court ordered that the sentences on counts 1, 2, 4, and 5 run concurrently with the sentence imposed on count 3, resulting in an effective sentence of 23 years' direct imprisonment. The court further declared Khoza unfit to possess a firearm and ordered that his name be entered into the National Register for Sex Offenders.
The NPA remains steadfast in its commitment to combating gender-based violence and ensuring that perpetrators of sexual offences are held accountable for their actions. Through the Thuthuzela Care Centres (TCCs), led by the NPA's Sexual Offences and Community Affairs (SOCA) Unit, victims of gender-based violence and sexual offences are provided with integrated support services under one roof.
These centres offer immediate medical care, forensic examinations, trauma counselling, and other essential victim-support services aimed at reducing secondary victimisation, strengthening criminal justice responses, and improving conviction rates.
The NPA commends all role players involved in securing this conviction and sentence and continues to encourage victims and members of the public to report incidents of sexual violence so that offenders are brought to justice and communities are made safer.
