DURBAN - Four more charges are to be added in the case against the man accused of being the ’Durban CBD serial rapist’.
This was revealed at the 50-year-old man’s second appearance in the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Monday, in what was meant to be his bail application.
Prosecutor, Treasure Ntimane, asked the court for a postponement after four more victims came forward when the suspect went for an identity parade on February 11.
He said the State needed to prepare further for the bail application.
According to court proceedings, police believe that in addition to the four new cases that have been unearthed the man could be linked to as many as 23 rape cases across the city.
Until the DNA tests return, the man has only been charged with only two counts of rape.
The prosecution had previously told the court that the suspect’s DNA was taken for testing for 17 other cases, which means he is possibly linked to 23 rape cases.
Speaking to the Daily News after the court proceedings, the alleged serial rapist’s lawyer, Ayanda Mkhwanazi, a private attorney, said the other DNA results were pending and should not be seen as an indication of his client’s guilt.
“Yes, four new charges will be filed against my client. However, the assertion that he has been positively identified through DNA is not true, because the results are still pending. And it does not indicate any guilt,” Mkhwanazi said.
Magistrate D. Magubane postponed the case until February 18. The accused will remain in custody.
Police spokesperson Captain Nqobile Gwala, said the man’s modus operandi dates as far back as 2008.
“The first reported case dates back to 2008. Cases with a similar modus operandi kept on piling up until it became apparent that a serial rapist was in operation. Concerted effort was put in trying to arrest the perpetrator but he was proving to be very slippery when sought by the police,” Gwala said.
The man, Gwala said, would lure his victims pretending to want to help them, or him being in need of help leading them to a bushy area at Wattle Place near Isipingo. He would then strangle, rape and rob the victims of their valuables.
He had appeared on two rape charges, involving the alleged rape of a minor and a 32-year-old woman.
Daily News