The trial of the alleged Ekurhuleni serial rapist, which was scheduled to start on Tuesday at a high court sitting in the Benoni Magistrate’s Court, was postponed due to a power outage at the court.

The man, whose identity may not be published before he has pleaded in court, was arrested in Etwatwa, Springs in March 2021 after police circulated an identikit of the suspect.

After his arrest, national SAPS spokesperson Brig Vish Naidoo, claimed a DNA report linked the suspect to cases in various policing precincts, including Batho, Crystal Park, Daveyton, Etwatwa and Putfontein with victims ranging from age 12 to 40.

According to a reliable source, a transformer failure at the court forced all scheduled court cases to be postponed.

The suspect faces about 203 charges including rape, kidnapping and theft committed in the Ekhurhuleni area from 2012 to March 2021.

He has allegedly been terrorising women and children in Benoni and other areas.

On February 28, the State opposed his bail because he may pose a threat to society if released during a formal bail application hearing in the Daveyton Magistrate’s Court.