By REGINALD KANYANE
23 May 2025- A man (43) was sentenced to 85 years imprisonment by the Rustenburg Regional Court for series of rapes. This includes possession of an unlicensed firearm.
The North West police spokesperson, Colonel Adéle Myburgh said the accused, Mziwoxolo Zozi was also declared unfit to possess a firearm in terms of section 103 of the Firearms Control Act, 2000 (Act No. 60 of 2000). Myburgh said the sentencing emanated from incidents, wherein Zozi raped women aged between 17 and 34 in Rustenburg, Phokeng, Mooinooi and Marikana, between April 2018 and July 2022.
“In one of the cases reported in the early hours of Sunday morning, 15 April 2018 in Marikana, a victim (23) was sleeping inside her house in Skierlik village, when suddenly overpowered by the convict, who threatened her with a firearm and ultimately raped her.
“In another case reported on 26 March 2022, Zozi overpowered a victim (17), in Freedom Park, outside Phokeng. The victim woke up when the convict removed her blankets, pointed her with a firearm and raped her,” she said.
Myburgh further said Zozi was identified as a possible suspect following comprehensive police investigations, then traced to Marikana and arrested on 29 November 2022. She added that the convict, who was found in possession of an unlicensed firearm, was linked to the crimes through forensic DNA leads.
“There are currently five more pending rape cases against the accused in the Rustenburg Regional Court. Furthermore, Zozi was linked to cases in the Eastern Cape, Western Cape, Kwa-Zulu Natal and Gauteng Provinces.
“The accused, who has been in custody since his arrest, will effectively serve 50 years in jail as some of the sentences will run concurrently with others,” said Myburgh.
Meanwhile, the acting North West Police Commissioner, Major General Patrick Asaneng, lauded the investigating Officer, Sergeant Obakeng Rasego of Rustenburg Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit and the state prosecutor, advocate Thebe Nong for working hard in securing these sentences. Asaneng reiterated that the police will work tirelessly to ensure that perpetrators of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) are brought to book.
The Guardian 