Serial Rapist Lungile Buhlungu Sentenced To Six Life Terms For Brutal Attacks In Delft

The Western Cape High Court has handed down one of its heaviest sentences in recent memory, sentencing 40-year-old Lungile Buhlungu to six life terms and an additional 50 years in prison for a string of rapes and violent crimes that terrorised the Delft community between 2014 and 2019.

Buhlungu, a father of six, was found guilty on six counts of rape, four counts of kidnapping, two counts of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, one count of robbery with aggravating circumstances, and one count of illegal possession of a firearm.

To protect their identities and avoid retraumatisation, the victims testified in camera. One of the most brutal incidents took place on July 11, 2014, when three women were forced into the bushes at gunpoint and repeatedly raped by Buhlungu and an accomplice. One of the women attempted to fight back, but the men fired a shot in the air to intimidate her. They were released the following morning, their lives changed forever.

Victims Knew Their Attacker — And Lived in Fear

In another attack on October 5, 2017, a woman walking home was ambushed and raped. She later woke up in hospital with severe injuries, including a head wound and a red eye. A motorist found her naked in a local cemetery. The survivor told the court she recognised Buhlungu — they lived in the same informal settlement in Delft. Traumatized, she later left the Western Cape to escape the environment where her life was shattered.

Then, in May 2018, two more women were abducted and taken to the same cemetery, where they were raped at gunpoint. All these attacks were tied to Buhlungu through DNA evidence after his arrest in 2019.

Despite overwhelming forensic evidence, Buhlungu denied the charges. He claimed he was in Pollsmoor Prison during the 2014 rapes and said the 2017 and 2018 incidents were consensual. He even told the court: “I’d want to meet the victims one day and tell them they were wrong as I had not raped them.”

Serial Offender Declared Unfit for Firearm, Faces Psychological Assessment

Expert testimony from Lieutenant Colonel Elmarie Alta Myburgh — a specialist in sex crimes and risk assessment — painted a disturbing picture of Buhlungu. She explained that his pattern of violence, use of weapons, denial, lack of remorse, and personal history of aggression placed him at high risk of reoffending.

“Serial rapists do not stop raping women by themselves, and the only way that they will be stopped is by arrest,” said Myburgh, supporting the State’s call for multiple life sentences.

In addition to the six life terms, Buhlungu received:

• 5 years each for two counts of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm
• 5 years each for four counts of kidnapping
• 15 years for robbery with aggravating circumstances
• 5 years for illegal possession of a firearm

He was also declared unfit to possess a firearm.

The court further ordered the Department of Correctional Services to submit Buhlungu for psychological evaluation within six months, and to implement treatment should he be found responsive to any intervention for his sexual behaviour.

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