Qumbu Facebook Serial Rapist And Murderer Sentenced To Six Life Terms Plus 135 Years

The High Court of South Africa: Eastern Cape Division, sitting in Mthatha, sentenced Xolisa Sojada (34), who used to lure women on Facebook, before raping, robbing and killing them to effective three life imprisonment terms. The court sentenced him to life for each of the three counts of murder, life on three counts of rape and 15 years on the other three counts of rape, 15 years on six counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances and five years for housebreaking with intent to commit an offence.

Three life terms will run consecutively, with the court order that the rapes and robberies of the three deceased, run concurrently with the murders. It further ordered that the 15 years rape sentence, run with the five years housebreaking sentence and the other two rape counts run concurrently with two robbery sentences.  Effectively, Sojada will serve three life terms and 45 years. In the period between October 2017 and December 2017, Sojada created a Facebook account and used a profile picture of a handsome man, under the fake name of “Neo Jerry”.

He initiated relationships with women and made them believe he was genuinely in love with them, without them knowing him physically.  He would arrange for the victims to visit him in the Qumbu area, where he claimed to have been an owner of a fleet of taxis that he had inherited from a rich father. When the victims visited their “boyfriend” in Qumbu, Sojada would give them directions where they will meet.  He would enquire telephonically about how the victim is dressed on the day of the visit.

 After meeting the victims, he would tell them he is brother to “Neo Jerry” who had sent him to fetch them as he was busy.  He would walk with victims, most of whom were unfamiliar with the Qumbu area, to secluded places.  To their surprise, the victims would be raped, robbed and sometimes killed. He killed them in the same fashion and took their belongings to his then-girlfriend. In a separate incident, Sojada broke into and entered the house of his victim and repeatedly raped her, on the night of 27 April 2017, in the presence of her children.

At the beginning of the trial, Sojada entered a guilty plea, only about the murders but Senior State Adv. Mbulelo Nyendwana rejected that. The prosecution managed to convince the court beyond a reasonable doubt, that he was also guilty as charged on all other offences.

Welcoming the sentence, Eastern Cape Director of Public Prosecutions DPP), Barry Madolo, commended the prosecutor and investigating officer Captain Xolile Mdepa, for the thorough investigation.  “Had the state fell into the trap of accepting Sojada’s insincere guilty plea, he would have got off with a far less sentence, not deserving of his heinous actions”, said DPP Madolo.  

Issued by:

Luxolo Tyali

NPA Regional Spokesperson

Eastern Cape Division

Tel: 0475012630

Cell: 0735559292

Email: ltyali@npa.gov.za