Komani Regional Court hands down life terms after DNA links suspect to four rapes
The Komani Regional Court has sentenced Khaya Masiba (41) to four life terms after finding him guilty of raping four women in separate incidents in the Mlungisi area between 2013 and 2015, the South African Police Service (SAPS) said.
SAPS spokesperson Captain Yolisa Mgolodela said DNA evidence linked Masiba to all four cases. The convictions relate to incidents in which victims were attacked in different locations and circumstances within Mlungisi.
- 9 June 2013 — The first matter involved a woman who had been returning from a tavern. The victim was assaulted, stabbed and raped after being taken to a shack. The case was initially struck off the roll pending DNA laboratory results.
- 2 March 2014 — A woman who had left a vehicle following an argument with her husband was accosted as she walked towards Mlungisi Cemetery. Two men dragged her to the cemetery and raped her; she later reported the crime to Mlungisi Police Station.
- 29 August 2015 — A woman walking to Khayelitsha Location was pursued by four men on Bulawayo Street in Unifound, Mlungisi. After running to a nearby yard she was caught, dragged out, strangled and raped by one of the men. A rape case was opened at Mlungisi Police Station.
- Undated (reported) — Another attack involved a woman who was assaulted inside her shack. Investigations in that matter also proceeded after a report was laid.
"DNA evidence linked the suspect to the four cases," Captain Yolisa Mgolodela said, summarising the outcome that led to the life terms.
According to the SAPS account, the victims' ages at the time of the incidents are recorded in police documentation; two of the victims are noted as 41 and one as 54 in the reporting of the separate offences. The cases were investigated at Mlungisi Police Station, which opened the respective rape dockets.
The first matter mentioned was initially removed from the court roll while DNA results were awaited, a common procedural step in sexual offence prosecutions when forensic linkage is required. Once laboratory results became available, the matter proceeded and ultimately formed part of the consolidated case against Masiba.
| Date | Location | Reported injuries / circumstances | Police action |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 June 2013 | Mlungisi (near shack) | Assaulted, stabbed and raped | Case opened; struck off roll pending DNA; later linked to suspect |
| 2 March 2014 | Mlungisi Cemetery | Dragged to cemetery and raped by two men | Victim reported; investigation opened |
| 29 August 2015 | Bulawayo Street, Unifound | Chased, strangled and raped after being caught | Rape case opened; investigations ensued |
The sentencing marks the conclusion of a multi-year investigative process in which forensic evidence played a decisive role. Sexual offences remain a priority for SAPS in the Eastern Cape, where police regularly emphasise the need for victims to report incidents to enable forensic collection, investigation and prosecution.
Local activists and community groups have for years called for improved victim support services and faster forensic turnaround times in the province. While the outcome in this case demonstrates the potential of DNA linkage to secure convictions, the time elapsed between incidents and final sentencing underlines ongoing challenges in the criminal justice process, from evidence processing to case management at local police stations.
Police did not provide further detail on whether other suspects were identified in the incidents that involved multiple perpetrators, only confirming that Masiba was linked to the four separate matters. The SAPS statement, as provided by Captain Mgolodela, supplied the chronology of incidents and the role of DNA evidence in securing the convictions.
Members of the Komani community concerned about safety and the policing of sexual offences can continue to report crimes at Mlungisi Police Station. SAPS urges victims to come forward and to preserve evidence wherever possible so that forensic investigators can assist in building cases for prosecution.
