An Eastern Cape serial r@pist who terrorised women in the Tsolo area between 2016 and 2017 has been sentenced in the Mthatha High Court.
Thabile Bhino Nyakiso, 32, from Tikitiki Location, was convicted on multiple counts of r@pe and robbery.
Nyakiso’s modus operandi was targeting women during the night, often wearing a balaclava and hoodie. He robbed his victims of their cell phones and money before raping them.
The provincial police spokesperson, Colonel Siphokazi Mawisa, said a breakthrough in the police’s investigation came when detectives received a report from a forensic laboratory in Cape Town linking 15 cases to a single unidentified suspect.
“At the time, the suspect had not yet been identified. Through meticulous investigation, detectives obtained a buccal sample from Nyakiso, who was at the time known to police as an informant. The sample was submitted for forensic analysis as part of the investigative process.”
The forensic results positively linked Nyakiso to the cases and led to his arrest in September 2023.
“He was arrested and appeared at Tsolo Magistrate’s Court on September 23, 2023. He was later denied bail and remanded in custody. The case was transferred to the Mthatha High Court on August 24, 2024, until his sentencing,” Mawisa said.
The court sentenced Nyakiso to eight terms of life imprisonment, 15 years’ imprisonment each for three counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances and 12 months’ imprisonment for common robbery. He was further declared unfit to possess a firearm.
The court further ordered that Nyakiso must serve 30 years of his sentence before he can be considered for parole.
The Eastern Cape Police Commissioner, Lieutenant-General Vuyisile Ncata, welcomed the sentencing.
“This sentence is a significant outcome for the victims who endured these traumatic experiences and for the investigative team who remained committed to bringing the perpetrator to justice. We commend the investigating officer for pursuing every possible lead until the suspect was identified and brought before the courts,” Ncata said.
