PORT ELIZABETH, October 23 (ANA) – A serial rapist who allegedly tormented a string of women in Port Elizabeth pleaded guilty to 17 counts of rape in the city’s high court on Monday.
Mzikayise Mkavu, 27, pleaded guilty to string of charges which include rape, assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, attempted murder and robbery with aggravating circumstances. The charges against him date back to incidents between July 2008 up until January 2016.
According to the State, in the first alleged incident in 2008, Mkavu accosted a woman and demanded R1 from her. When the women said she had no money, Mkavu who was in possession of a broken bottle, told her to run as he would stab her. The indictment reads that he forced the woman to run in the direction of a school where he raped her.
In the second incident, during September 2010, another woman was robbed of R18 by two unknown men who then proceeded to rape her. When the two men left Mkavu pretended to assist the woman by escorting her home. As they were walking he produced a knife and ordered her to go in the direction of Sisonke High School where he raped her inside a classroom, the indictment reads.
Still in September 2010, the State alleges that Mkavu accosted another woman while she was waiting outside her boyfriend’s house. He allegedly grabbed her and ordered her to go to the back of the house, before stabbing her in her eyes with a bottle neck. According to the State he then raped the woman.
In March 2011, Mkavu allegedly targeted a woman who was walking alone in Ketani Street. The State alleges he came running behind her, ordered her to stop and stabbed her in the ear, before raping her twice.
In June 2011, Mkavu allegedly accosted another woman who was walking in a street. According to the State he robbed her of her phone, R30 and stabbed her with a knife in the neck before raping her. The woman ran to her sister’s house where she collapsed and regained consciousness in hospital.
In 2012, the State alleges that Mkavu raped five women in separate incidents between May and December.
The indictment reads that in 2013, a woman was walking to her boyfriend’s house when Mkavu approached her and robbed her of her phone and R90 in cash, before raping her.
Similarly, in 2014 a woman was on her way home when Mkavu accosted her and demanded money and her cellphone. According to the State he forced the woman into a house where he raped and stabbed her.
In the last incident in January 2016, armed with knives Makavu with an accomplice allegedly forced a woman into a house where they raped her and forced her to stay the night.
Fourteen women have been listed in the indictment as complainants.
Mkavu’s guilty plea explanation, which is a voluminous document, was read into the court record on Monday.
– African News Agency (ANA)
