THERE was jubilation outside the Modimolle high court yesterday shortly after David Nnana Rannditsheni, the serial killer, was sentenced.

The families of the victims expressed satisfaction yesterday with the punishment meted out to the man who was responsible for a spate of rapes and murders of their children.

Most of the victims were aged between three and 13.

Rannditsheni was yesterday found guilty of 46 charges ranging from murder, rape, kidnapping and indecent assault.

Judge Roger Claassen sent Rannditsheni straight to jail and ordered that he serves at least 35 years of his sentence before being considered for parole.

Anna Manganyi, 35, the mother of one of the young girls who survived the attack of the serial killer, said she was relieved that Rannditsheni was "sent to rot" in jail.

"I'm happy that I will no longer see him because the sight of him always brought pain in my heart," said Manganyi.

She said she had known Rannditsheni for a while but was totally unaware that he was responsible for the murders of children in the Modimolle area.

"He used to visit our neighbours for drinks and he would take any kind of alcoholic beverage ranging from sorghum beer to spirits.

"But at no stage did we suspected he could be the one responsible for the disappearance of the children," she said.

Christina Motshabi, 32, whose daughter Johanna has never been found since 2006, said she was happy though the whereabouts of her child remains unknown.