Delft and Mfuleni rapist sentenced to six life terms

A serial rapist who preyed on victims in Delft and Mfuleni has been handed six life sentences by the Western Cape High Court.

Lungile Buhlungu’s reign of terror ran from July 2014 to November 2020, during which he allegedly lured young women by offering them a ride home from taverns.

Once he had them in his grasp he threatened, robbed and raped them at gunpoint.

Police finally linked him to the crimes when he was arrested in November 2020 for an unrelated crime.

Investigation officer Detective Sergeant Nomabandla Jokazi obtained his buccal (mouth) swabs which later positively linked him to the six rape cases he stood accused of in court.

Following his sentencing on Wednesday, Provincial Commissioner of the Western Cape Lieutenant-General Thembisile Patekile praised the excellent investigation of the Family Violence Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit’s Serial Electronic Crime Investigations Unit (SECI) which he believes ensures that the 40-year-old convict now remains behind bars for the rest of his life.

Buhlungu was sentenced to an accumulative 200 years in prison as follows: Six life imprisonment on the six rape cases, four times five years on each count of kidnapping, five years imprisonment for the possession of a firearm, 15 years imprisonment for robbery aggravated and five years imprisonment for assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm each on two counts.

All the sentences will run concurrently with the sentences of life imprisonment.

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Cape Argus