FCS cop tracks down serial rapists

SECUNDA – While serial rapists are out there on the hunt for their next victim, they themselves are being stalked.

Secunda’s super serial sleuth, Sgt Hezekiel Malapela (43), works meticulously to track down our society’s serial sex offenders.

This seasoned detective at the police unit working with cases involving family violence, child protection and sexual offences (FCS) based in Secunda, orchestrated the arrest and conviction of sexual predators by the dozen in the 15 years since he joined the police.

The cases of 20 captured serial rapists are currently pending in the Secunda and Evander courts.

Sgt Malapela was hailed Mpumalanga’s best investigating detective in the FCS Unit at the provincial police awards held in Nelspruit on Thursday, 5 September.

He received a framed certificate and a trophy for this achievement.

This was not the first award that came his way for work well done. He also won this award in 2014, 2017 and 2018.

Among these accolades, he is most pleased with an award for Catch of the Year in 2014.

He clinched this award when he led the team who arrested Bheki Khumalo, a serial rapist who terrorised the women in the eMbalenhle area for several years.

Khumalo was sentenced to 550 years’ imprisonment, including 22 life sentences.

Sgt Malapela has since secured many similar successes in getting the perverted fiends off the streets.

In the midst of all the praise bestowed on him, Sgt Malapela remains a humble man, giving God and his team all the glory.

“I am guided by my Maker and I follow His instructions.

“We are a strong, close-knit team at the FCS and with other stakeholders such as social services and NPA, we have become a strong unit. I would not have had these successes without the help of all the team players,” he explained.

Joining the police services was far from Sgt Malapela’s mind growing up.

He was born and bred in Dennilton. He wanted to join the army, but was turned down.

He went to college and became a clerk at the Department of Education and his clerical skills eventually led him to help as civilian at his local police station.

His first application to join the police ranks, was never received and only after his second attempt in Middelburg, was he recruited.

“Even before hearing that I had been accepted to the police, I had a vision of being a detective on a crime scene.”

“We did various psychometric tests at the police college and everything pointed to me becoming a detective.”

He cited the best qualities of a good detective are passion for the job, perseverance, patience, intelligence to outsmart the perpetrator, and to always be hands-on with his work.

Sgt Malapela secured 47 life sentences since 2009 and hopes to hike up this number to 50 by the end of this year.

“My aim is to secure 100 life sentences before I retire from the FCS.”

Sgt Malapela is currently stalking five active serial rapists in the Govan Mbeki municipal area.

“They are still on the loose, but we are closing in on them,” he said.

“The chase never ends. There is no room for cry babies in our business.”