Kimberley - A serial rapist was sentenced to 43 years behind bars in the Northern Cape High Court on Friday for raping four girls, aged between 11 and 14, during 2016.

Olebogeng Thukwi, 29, targeted unsuspecting girls in the villages of Sedibeng and Bankhara villages near Kuruman, police said in a statement.

"He grabbed and dragged all his victims into the bushes and raped them. Subsequent to raping the victims he would leave them in the bushes and run away," the statement said.

"He was on the loose for almost two years, until his arrest on April 2018. Thukwi was linked to all four counts of rape through the forensic evidence."

The Northern Cape Police Management, praised the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and Department of Justice (DoJ) for working together in ensuring that criminals such as Thukwi are removed from the society. Singled out for praise was Sergeant Gail Haai, from the Northern Cape Provincial FCS.