Evander Regional Court postpones serial rape case against teacher

VANDER – The Evander Regional Court postponed the case of Themba Mpanza (36), an alleged serial rapist to Tuesday, November 29, for him to peruse court documents.

Mpanza, who was a teacher in eMbalenhle at the time of his arrest, appeared before the court on Tuesday, September 27.

He is facing four counts of rape and four counts of kidnapping after his arrest in July last year. He was denied bail.
He has already pleaded not guilty. He is representing himself in court.

Sergeant Hezekiel Malapela of the police’s unit working with family violence, child protection and sexual offences (FCS), testified on Wednesday that the investigating officers went as far as Tonga where the suspect was born, but Mpanza was unable to provide the police with a direct fixed address and also failed to take them to his family.

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When asked about the investigation, Malapela told the court it is nearly completed.

Only blood samples that were taken to the laboratory and cellphone records that will prove that the suspect kept on calling one of his victims from eMbalenhle are outstanding.

The court also heard the suspect was previously arrested for the same offence, but the case was later struck off the court roll in Tonga.

Malapela said three of the four victims identified the suspect in an identification parade that was conducted by the police at the eMbalenhle Police Station.

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The court also heard that all the victims told the police they had been raped by a man driving a maroon Toyota Corolla.

Mpanza was driving a maroon Toyota Corolla at the time of his arrest. The policeman testified that the same pattern was used in each crime.

“When arriving at the spot of his choice, the suspect exited his vehicle and went to the boot of the car from where he pulled out a knife. He told his victims to get undressed and lie down on the back seat and then he raped them.”

Malapela said that afterwards, the accused gave the victims a container with water to wash before dropping them off far from their destination.

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Mpanza is suspected of targeting young women who were either hitchhiking or helping him with directions.

The court heard that three of the victims were hitchhiking, while a 14-year-old girl was taken from Leandra when the suspect had stopped her and pretended to search for a certain place.

He asked the girl to take him there. However, the suspect allegedly turned off on the R29 road and drove out of Leandra and past Eendracht where he allegedly raped the child in nearby fields.

Community members and Economic Freedom Fighter members last year picketed in front of the school where Mpanza taught and demanded that he be expelled.