SERIAL OFFENDER GETS TWO LIFE TERMS PLUS 25 YEARS
05 June 2025
SERIAL OFFENDER GETS TWO LIFE TERMS PLUS 25 YEARS
The High Court of South Africa, Eastern Cape Division, Makhanda, has sentenced Nkosikhona Sandi (28) to an effective life imprisonment for a string of violent crimes committed in Nemato Township, Port Alfred, between 2016 and 2019. Sandi was convicted of multiple counts of rape and robbery with aggravating circumstances. In the first incident on 02 May 2016, Sandi and an accomplice attacked a 20-year-old woman, robbed her at knifepoint, and took turns raping her in an open area in Nemato. Just three months later, in August 2016, he was identified as one of a group who robbed a man of his phone, shoes, and cash.
On 26 August 2017, he again committed robbery and rape, attacking a 22-year-old woman with another armed male, before dragging her behind a house and raping her. Her friend was also raped by the second assailant. The final set of crimes took place on 06 January 2019, when Sandi and two accomplices ambushed an 18-year-old woman and her boyfriend. After attacking the couple, Sandi and another man dragged the complainant away, assaulted her with a panga, and raped her.
Sandi was arrested a week after the robbery of one of his victims on 08 August 2016, when the complainant successfully identified him as one of the assailants. This identification linked Sandi to a broader pattern of violent criminal conduct in Nemato, including several rapes and aggravated robberies spanning from 2016 to 2019.
Following Sandi’s arrest on a completely unrelated matter, a buccal reference sample was obtained from him, which enabled the police to connect him to a series of violent assaults and rapes committed over three years. Arguing for an appropriate sentence, State Advocate Siebert Baartman submitted that the brutality of the crimes and the vulnerability of the victims demanded a lengthy custodial sentence, as Sandi is a serial offender.
Although Sandi was linked with DNA evidence in respect of all three counts of rape, his defence was a bare denial. Initially, he was not willing to make any formal admissions and challenged the State to prove its case against him. At the time of sentencing, Sandi was already serving a 30-year imprisonment term following his April 2023 conviction on two counts of rape, where he was tried with a second accused. Adv. Baartman was also the prosecutor in that matter. In the recent matter, he received additional sentences: life imprisonment for one count of rape, 15 years’ imprisonment for robbery with aggravating circumstances, 10 years for another count of rape, and a second life sentence for a further rape conviction. The court ordered that his name be added to the National Register for Sex Offenders. All sentences are to run concurrently, and Sandi was further declared unfit to possess a firearm.
Eastern Cape Director of Public Prosecutions, Mr Barry Madolo, welcomed the sentence, adding that it sends a strong and clear message that perpetrators of gender-based violence will be held accountable. The NPA remains resolute in its commitment to eradicating GBV by ensuring that perpetrators are held accountable through vigorous prosecution. The NPA prioritises the prosecution of sexual offences and GBV-related crimes through its specialised units, including the Sexual Offences and Community Affairs (SOCA) Unit and Thuthuzela Care Centres (TCCs), which offer survivor-centred, multi-disciplinary support.
Issued by:
Luxolo Tyali
Regional Spokesperson Eastern Cape Division
National Prosecuting Authority
Tel: 047 501 2630
Email: ltyali@npa.gov.za
Enquiries: nmakupula@npa.gov.za | 068 268 2473