SERIAL RAPIST SENTENCED TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT FOLLOWING FCS INVESTIGATION
GQEBERHA – 27 August 2026: The South African Police Service (SAPS) in the Nelson Mandela Bay District welcomed the life imprisonment sentence handed down to 24-year-old Thabiso Phillip, following a meticulous investigation by the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit.
Phillip was sentenced in the Gqeberha High Court on 24 August 2026 after being convicted on multiple serious charges, including rape, robbery with aggravating circumstances, kidnapping and attempted robbery with aggravating circumstances.
The charges relate to incidents involving three female victims, aged between 23 and 30 years, who were attacked in the Walmer area between 2019 and 2022.
The court sentenced Phillip to life imprisonment on Count 14 (rape). The sentences imposed on Counts 1 to 13 were ordered to run concurrently with the life sentence. His name will also be entered into the National Register for Sex Offenders.
The investigation was conducted by Warrant Officer Thabang Shilajoe of the FCS Unit, who successfully linked the accused to the three separate incidents.
Herewith in brief description of the three different incidents. In the first incident, during December 2019, the victim and her sister were walking home from a tavern at approximately 00:30 when they were approached by a masked male. The suspect threatened them with a knife and attempted to rob them. When the victim’s sister fled, the suspect dragged the victim to a nearby property, where he sexually assaulted and raped her.
In the second incident, during July 2021, the victim and her friend were walking to another friend’s residence at approximately 21:00 when they were approached from behind by a masked male armed with a firearm. He robbed the victim of her cellphone and cash before instructing her friend to leave. He then dragged the victim to a nearby house and raped her.
In the third incident, during May 2022, the victim was walking to work at approximately 06:10 when she was approached from behind. The suspect threatened to shoot her if she screamed and pulled her into a nearby yard. He took her to a toilet, produced a knife, robbed her of her cellphone and cash, and subsequently raped her.
The conviction brings a measure of justice to the victims and demonstrates the SAPS’s commitment to investigating sexual offences and ensuring that perpetrators are brought before the courts. The Acting Nelson Mandela Bay District Commissioner Brig Loyiso Ngalo commended Warrant Officer Shilajoe and the FCS Unit for their dedication and investigative work in securing the conviction.
Enquiries: Capt Sandra Janse Van Rensburg082 779 7173
