A 33-year-old man believed to be involved in seven rape cases in Limpopo has been tracked down and arrested. According to police reports, the man is believed to be a serial rapist who terrorized Bolobedu and Tzaneen communities.
Seven cases of rape were reported between 2015 and 2016 – all showing the same modus operandi.
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Police were told that the perpetrators appeared to be targeting unsuspecting women who were traveling to the town in Tzaneen but did not know the area. At this time, it is alleged that the suspect will offer assistance to the missing woman, and in doing so, will lure her to a secluded area.
The suspect will then rape and rob the victim’s belongings. Police also confirmed that one of the victims was hacked with a machete during the incident.
Targeting hitchhikers
In a statement, the police spokesperson, Colonel Malesela Ledwaba, said: “The suspect also targeted a woman who was riding in a car on the R71 road on the way to Phalaborwa and Giyani. Joint efforts were made to try to arrest the unknown perpetrators until they were finally linked through forensic evidence.
After evading the police radar, a tip-off received by the police eventually led to his arrest in Tzaneen CBD.
The accused appeared briefly in the Tzaneen Magistrate’s Court on Friday, December 30, 2022 on various charges of rape and robbery. He will appear in the Bolobedu Magistrates Court on Tuesday 03 January 2023 and in Tzaneen on 06 January for a formal bail application.
“The suspect may be linked to other cases as police investigations are ongoing,” Ledwaba said.
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