Evander court postpones trial of alleged serial rapist

The Evander Regional Court postponed the trial of Christopher Seopa, an alleged serial rapist from eMbalenhle, to June 26.

The postponement was issued on June 9 after Seopa, representing himself, failed to address the court as instructed. Seopa was arrested in 2019 after a string of rape cases were reported in eMbalenhle and Evander.

He allegedly targeted women hitchhikers, offering them lifts in a red double cab bakkie before driving them to remote areas and raping them at gunpoint.

In one incident, a woman hitchhiking home from work in Evander accepted a lift to eMbalenhle from a man in a red bakkie. En route, he allegedly turned onto Adullam Road.

When the woman questioned the route, the man claimed he needed to stop in Bracken. However, he drove past Bracken Road and instead took her to an open field near Brendan Village, where he allegedly raped her at gunpoint.

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In a similar case, the same man allegedly picked up another woman hitchhiking from the Mandela traffic circle to Ext 12 in eMbalenhle. He again diverted to Bracken Road and to the same open field, where he allegedly raped her at gunpoint.

Seopa faces four counts of rape, one count of possessing an unlicensed firearm and one of escaping from lawful custody in 2020.

Initially, he hired a private attorney. After being denied bail, he switched to a Legal Aid lawyer, only to later dismiss the representative and choose to defend himself.

Since the trial began, Seopa has remained silent, refusing to cross-examine witnesses or present any objections. The National Prosecuting Authority closed its case after calling all witnesses and submitting its evidence.

The magistrate allowed Seopa to present his defence on June 9, but he said nothing. The court has now given him until June 26 to respond before delivering judgment.

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