35-year-old South African jailed for 1,535 years for raping 29 women

Johannesburg: A 35-year-old serial rapist has been jailed for 1,535 years by a South African court for sexually assaulting as many as 29 women over a period of five years, said, media reports, on Friday.

Albert Morake's reign of terror in the Tembisa area of Gauteng province began in 2007 and ended with his arrest in 2012.

He was sentenced by the Johannesburg High Court yesterday to 1,535 years of imprisonment including 30 life terms for 30 counts of rape, 360 years for robbery and several hundred more for crimes including attempted murder, kidnapping and robbery. Media said Morake is one of this country's worst serial rapists and his sentence is one of the most severe. Rape survivors, who attended the quantum of punishment, danced with joy and hugged each other.

Morake had pleaded not guilty to 175 charges, including 30 of rape, 41 of kidnapping and 24 of robbery among others.

However, he was found guilty on 144 counts. The sentences will run concurrently. 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 was quoted as saying by Times Live.co.za.

Strydom said most of Morake's victims had been traumatized 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.