A 36-year-old man has been sentenced to nine life terms for the m_rders and r@pes of young girls in Embalenhle, Mpumalanga, between 2016 and 2018.
The Secunda regional court handed down the sentence on Wednesday.
Themba Shongwe’s crime spree began in 2016 when he dragged a 16-year-old girl to a soccer field, r0bbed her of her cellphone, and r@ped her.
The court heard gruesome details of his subsequent crimes, including the murders of Nokulunga Nkutha, 11, who was found de@d after being reported missing the same year. In June 2017, Cynthia Masilela, 16, was found de@d next to the municipality offices. Lerato Nkutha, 11, was found de@d near a hair salon after going missing in 2018, while Mihle Philisiwe Zinganto, 11, was discovered dead on a street in the same year.
SAPS acting provincial commissioner Maj-Gen Zeph Mkhwanazi commended the investigators for their work in bringing Shongwe to justice.
“His reign of terror made life hard for Embalenhle residents, but thanks to the detective work, the court imposed a heavy sentence for each atrocity.
