Police management in Mpumalanga has applauded SAPS members as well as security personnel for securing a hefty sentence meted against serial rapist, Philip Mathonsi aged 36. The accused was sentenced at Boschfontein Regional Court on Thursday 6 May 2021.
The court heard how the residents of Marloth Park near Komatipoort, more especially women lived in fear for quite a while as Mathonsi targeted them where he reportedly robbed and raped them as well. These incidents were recorded between the period of 2016 and 2017. Mathonsi would normally wait until it was dark before preying on his victims.
It is said that on 11 September 2016, Mathonsi broke into a certain house in Marloth Park, attacked and raped a 63 year old elderly woman then fled.
On 4 November 2016, he also attacked and raped another woman aged 60 then.
Mathonsi continued with his reign of terror when on 22 December 2016, he broke into another house in the same area, attacked and raped another elderly woman who was also 60 then.
Mathonsi again on 29 January 2017, attacked a 59-year-old woman who was alone at the time as in the others, however fled the scene when security guards who were patrolling the area came to her rescue.
On 20 December 2019, his luck ran dry when he was apprehended by security guards who then notified police hence his sentencing as follows:
On the first rape count, he was sentenced to five years imprisonment,
Robbery – ten years,
Second rape – five years.
He was further sentenced to another ten years for the third rape and five years for robbery.
Mathonsi was meted with an additional ten years for housebreaking as well as two years imprisonment for attempted rape.
The court has ordered that count 1 and 2 run concurrently whilst count 3 and 4 also run concurrently as well. The court further ordered that count 5, run concurrently with count 6 and 7.
Mathonsi will spend 30 years effective behind bars.
The accused’s particulars will also be entered into the National Register for Sex Offenders.
Major General Thulani Phahla, the Acting Provincial Commissioner of the South African Police Service in Mpumalanga, has welcomed the sentence and said, “we applaud the team of Investigators, the security personnel, Prosecution as well as the Judiciary for ensuring that justice is served for the victims that suffered gross human violations in their homes. We hope that the sentence will serve as a deterrent to others.”
