The rapist Morake had pleaded not guilty to 175 charges, including 30 for rape, 41 for kidnapping, 24 for robbery with aggravating circumstances, 3 for attempted robbery and 1 for attempted murder. He was found guilty on 144 counts.
The Johannesburg High Court, sitting at the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court, on the East Rand, sentenced Morake to 1535 years of imprisonment, including 30 life terms for the counts of rape, 15 years on each count of robbery with aggravating circumstances, 10 years for attempted murder, five years on each kidnapping count and five years for the possession of an unlicensed firearm.
Judge Rean Strydom said Morake had not shown remorse and had persisted in denying his involvement in the crimes. He had been arrogant in that he “provided his victims with advice on how to protect themselves from rape in the future”, the judge said.
Strydom said most of Morake’s victims had been traumatised and were emotional when they testified against him.
“He had acted with premeditation. He came prepared to commit the crimes and was always in control,” said Strydom.
Morake is one of this country’s worst serial rapists and his sentence is one of the most severe. In 2007, Mongezi Jingxela, 39, as found guilty on 60 counts of rape and of related crimes, was sentenced to 2461 years in jail, including 55 life terms. In 2013, Mlungisa Mtshali was sentenced to 39 life terms after being convicted of 39 rapes.
A victim said:
“I am very, very happy. I will sleep like a little baby from now on.”
Another victim, who said that she failed matric and started drinking and smoking as a result of the rape, said:
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“It feels like I’m dreaming. It feels like something has been lifted off my shoulders. That rape changed my life.”