Crime

Alleged R71 serial rapist denies bail

A 33-year-old alleged serial rapist whose reign of terror is believed to have started in 2015, abandoned his bail application after appearing before the Tzaneen Magistrate's Court on Thursday, January 12.

He is currently charged with five instances of rape and robbery.  A forensic investigation is underway to determine if he is linked to more cases. Police have been probing at least seven rape cases reported between 2015 and 2016 with a similar modus operandi. He was arrested on December 28 in the Tzaneen CBD after police received a tip-off. He is believed to have been terrorising the communities of Bolobedu and Tzaneen.

The perpetrator allegedly targeted unsuspecting women on their way to Tzaneen town who did not know the area very well.  He offered them assistance and in doing so, he allegedly lured them to a secluded area. The suspect would then allegedly rape and rob the victims of their belongings. One of the victims was hacked with a panga during the incident.The suspect also targeted women hitchhiking on the R71 road on the way to Phalaborwa and Giyani.

Also read: Rapist hit with life sentence imprisonment

Provincial commissioner of police in Limpopo, Lt Gen Thembi Hadebe has commended the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit in Tzaneen for the meticulous investigation that led to the arrest. Police have appealed to victims who may have fallen prey to the accused to come forward and report the matter at the nearest police station or call the crime stop number 08600 10111or report using MySAPSApp. The name of the accused is withheld until he pleads to the
charges against him.

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Emelda Tintswalo Shipalana

Tintswalo Shipalana, a journalist for the Letaba Herald, has been in the media industry for over a decade. She started her journey in radio, but ended up in print which is her first love. She joined the Herald newspaper as a cadet in 2016, where she graduated with a journalism qualification from the Caxton Training Academy. She also has a qualification in Feature Writing from the University of Cape Town and a Media Management qualification from Wits University. She is completing her BA Communication Science degree with UNISA. She sleeps well at night knowing she is a voice to the voiceless and her work contributes to promoting local talent, businesses and service delivery. Her love for her community keeps her working hard every day.

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