A NOTORIOUS rapist, who raped both men and women in the region, will spend the rest of his life behind bars.
Sibusiso Phillip Gumede (29) was sentenced in the Empangeni Regional Court to four terms of life imprisonment for the rapes, and 16 years for two robberies.
In February 2018, Gumede first raped an 18-year-old man in the KwaMaholoholo forest in Gobandlovu outside eSikhaleni.
The victim was waiting for transport to school at 5am when Gumede grabbed and pulled him into the forest, where he brutally assaulted, raped and robbed him of his cash.
After the incident he reportedly fell asleep and his victim managed to escape.
In April that year, he sexually assaulted his second victim at knife point in eSikhaleni.
A 42-year-old woman was walking home when she crossed paths with Gumede
He forced her into nearby bushes, assaulted and raped her before robbing her of her belongings and fled the scene on foot.
Three months later Gumede battered a 25-year-old woman near Felixton after he had followed her from the eSikhawini mall and they boarded the same taxi.
While walking along a sugar cane plantation towards the University of Zululand residences, Gumede drew his knife, threatened her and pulled her into the sugar cane and repeatedly raped her.
His fourth victim was a local woman he approached while she was jogging.
Gumede was arrested after a tip-off and he was identified by all his victims during an identification parade.
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