Pretoria – The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has successfully opposed the bail application of 36-year-old Nkosinathi Phakati, who is facing 203 charges of rape, kidnapping and theft committed in and around Ekurhuleni.
North Gauteng regional spokesperson for the director of public prosecutions, Lumka Mahanjana, said the horrific crimes were committed between 2012 and March 2021.
Phakati was on Monday denied bail when he appeared before the Daveyton Magistrate’s Court.
“All the alleged offences were against females aged between 14 to 44 years old. Phakati was arrested on 17 March 2021, after he attempted to go back to one of his victim’s homes,” said Mahanjana.
In court, Phakati requested to be released on bail citing ill health. The alleged serial rapist last year abandoned his bail application.
Prosecutor Refiloe Neluonde told the court that it was not in the best interest of justice to release Phakati on bail because the state had a strong case against him.
Neluonde said there is evidence linking Phakati to the numerous crimes.
She further reminded the court that, should Phakati be sentenced, he faced prospects of multiple life terms in jail and therefore, he is a flight risk.
With regards to Phakati’s ill health, Neluonde told the court that the 36-year-old is receiving the necessary medical attention, and there is evidence to prove that.
The court subsequently denied Phakati’s bail application.
Phakati is in court today for a transfer date of his trial in the high court, which will be sitting in Benoni.
In January, the High Court in Pretoria sentenced Takalani Mulaudzi, from Tshafhasi in Nzhelele, Limpopo, to 173 years imprisonment for rape, robbery with aggravating circumstances, kidnapping and grievous bodily harm.
This came after Mulaudzi was convicted of 15 counts of rape, five counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances, three counts of kidnapping and one count of grievous body harm.
The court heard that Mulaudzi started committing these offences in 2015 in and around Pretoria West when he was 23 years old.
IOL