The East London High Court has handed down a landmark sentence to 34-year-old Lwando Phike of Auckland Location, Dutywa.
He was convicted on multiple counts of rape, robbery and related charges.
Phike was sentenced to five life terms plus 95 years’ imprisonment, bringing closure to a series of brutal attacks that spanned several years.
The sentencing followed years of meticulous investigative work led by Warrant Officer Lulama Luhadi of the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit at the SAPS Provincial Office. Phike was linked to at least eight cases of rape and robbery committed between 2017 and 2022 in Kidd’s Beach, Duncan Village and Cambridge.
His victims, mainly young women aged between 14 and 24, were threatened with a knife, robbed of their belongings, and then raped in secluded areas.
Although the first case against him in 2017 was withdrawn due to witness challenges, DNA evidence preserved from that matter later became crucial in linking him to subsequent crimes. Buccal samples taken during his initial arrest were stored in the forensic database and positively connected him to seven additional cases.
Tracking him down proved challenging, as his whereabouts were unknown for some time. Through persistent tracing and circulation of his details, he was eventually located while in custody at East London Police Station on unrelated charges in May 2023. Warrant Officer Luhadi immediately rearrested him for the series of rape cases. He has remanded behind bars since, later abandoning his bail application.
On 25 September 2025, he was convicted to five life terms and 95 years’ imprisonment for rape, attempted rape and robbery by the East London High Court.
Cece Smith 