His ex-wife was given a suspended sentence of five years based on certain conditions. 

The man and woman, who cannot be named to protect the identities of their children, were found guilty in the North Gauteng High Court on August 16.

He was found guilty on charges of rape, attempted murder, defeating the ends of justice, obstruction of justice, five counts of child abuse and five counts of child neglect. He was also found guilty of drug dealing and drug possession.

She was found guilty on five counts of child neglect, drug possession, obstruction of justice and defeating the ends of justice.

Delivering judgment on Wednesday, Judge Eben Jordaan said: "The crimes committed by the accused are serious. Especially the crimes committed against the two older children."

'The devil made them'

Jordaan read from affidavits by the two older children, in which they recounted many instances of abuse. 

"I don't think of them as my mother and father, I don't want to be their child," the boy said in his affidavit. 

"I hate everything about my dad," the boy said. "I would kill him if I could."

The boy recounted being burnt with a blowtorch, among other assaults, and said he still bears the scars of these assaults.

The woman quietly wept as the judge read from the children's affidavits.

The man didn't show any emotion, listening with his arms crossed and taking a sip from his cold drink from time to time.  

Justice Jordaan read from therapists' reports that detailed the abuse, including one of the younger daughters, now eight, being dragged down a flight of stairs and the older boy being beaten until his eyes were purple.

One of the younger daughters told her therapist: "Jesus didn't make them. The devil made them." 

'Tortured - not abused'

"No child asks to be born. It is the task of every parent to love and cherish their children. None of these five children was loved or cherished.

"They were tortured and neglected. Not abused - tortured," Justice Jordaan said. 

The judge rejected the man's claims that his son had asked to be tied to a pillar. He also rejected the man's denial that he had pepper-sprayed the boy. 

"We know from evidence that accused two [the woman] was also assaulted in the same way he assaulted the children," the judge said. 

The judge said the man had continuously tried to shift the blame to his ex-wife and children. "These claims are utter nonsense and lies." 

The man was arrested at his house in Springs on the East Rand of Johannesburg after his son escaped and ran to a neighbour for help after a severe beating. The man abused his five children for years, keeping them locked in their house where they were made to sleep on filthy mattresses, with little food.

He was found guilty of raping his daughter, then 16-years-old, and was also abusive towards his now ex-wife. The judge rejected as "nonsense" the man's claims that his daughter had "seduced" him. 

He was also found guilty of the attempted murder of his 11-year-old son, whom he beat severely. 

'He will always be a psychopath'

The judge also read from a psychological evaluation which he considered "thorough" and "credible" and said it was an important part of the case. 

Former police forensic psychologist Bronwynn Stollarz told the court on Monday that the man lacked insight into his deeds or the consequences thereof – more so than any other perpetrator of violence she had interviewed in her career. She agreed with a statement made by the state prosecutor, advocate Jennifer Cronje, that the man would "always be a psychopath".

Justice Jordaan on Wednesday said he agreed with Stollarz's findings. 

Stollarz told the court that there was still a high risk that he would repeat his behaviour if released, and warned that seeing him would render psychologist progress made by the children "null and void".

The court also heard that while the man said he was sorry, he did not show any remorse.

In an interview with YOU on Monday, a family friend said that the children now want to move on with their lives and did not want to see the parents "get off scot-free".

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