On Friday, 16 February 2024, the Pietermaritzburg High Court brought closure to the Durban community when Mbutho Zondi, a feared serial rapist, was sentenced to three life terms.
How Mbutho Zondi terrorised Durban for years wi
Zondi was convicted of numerous charges, including rape, robbery with aggravating circumstances, kidnapping, and assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm.
According to Dundee police spokesperson Constable Siyabonga Nkwanyana, the case that led to Zondi’s downfall began on 29 July 2022, when a 23-year-old victim reported a brutal incident at the Ematimatolo police station.
She detailed how she was threatened with a firearm, robbed of her possessions, including her cellphone, and sexually assaulted.
At the time, the case was handled by Detective Sergeant Richard Gilden from the Greytown Family Violence, Child Protection, and Sexual Offences Unit. However, Zondi’s spree would go untethered for several months.
Durban police registered another attack on 27 September 2022, following the same modus operandi: a 22-year-old woman fell victim to rape and robbery, her cellphone stolen during the assault.
The breakthrough came when the first victim identified Zondi at a local shop on 2 October 2022, leading to a tactical operation and his arrest.
“A tactical operation was conducted to apprehend the suspect. He was then arrested after being found in possession of an unlicensed firearm and various cellphones. An investigation was able to link the suspect with both cases of Ematimatolo, as the suspect was in possession of both victims’ cellphones,” police revealed.
Turns out, police were dealing with a serial rapist whose sordid attacks on women had gone under the radar for years under their noses.
Further investigations and positive DNA results linked Zondi to four additional cases of rape and armed robbery previously reported at the Greytown police station.
This comprehensive body of evidence led to his trial in the Pietermaritzburg High Court, where he ultimately pleaded guilty to the charges presented against him.
At his sentencing this past Friday, the Pietermaritzburg High Court delivered the maximum possible penalty: three life sentences with an additional 160 years.
The sentence has been lauded by Umzinyathi District Commissioner, Major General Francis Slambert, who praised the thoroughness of the investigation and the concerted efforts of all involved in apprehending Zondi.