Serial rapist denied bail
The Daveyton Magistrate’s Court has denied bail to the alleged Benoni and Tembisa serial rapist.
According to Lumka Mahanjana, the National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson in the Gauteng division, the 38-year-old man, who was employed as a security officer at PRASA, is facing 145 charges.
These include 44 counts of rape, 43 counts of kidnapping, 41 counts of pointing a firearm, as well as 17 other additional charges of fraud, obstruction of justice, and forcing someone to witness a sexual act.
“It is alleged that the accused raped a total of 36 women in and around Benoni, Tembisa, and Daveyton, from 2018 until January 2023 when he was arrested. The youngest victim was a 14-year-old girl, while the oldest was a 33-year-old woman. It is alleged that he targeted the victims while they were going home, going to work, or waiting for a taxi. He would point a firearm at them, force them into his car, and drive them to a destination where he would rape them,” added Mahanjana.
Mahanjana further indicated that the accused was arrested on 22 January 2023 through an intelligence-driven operation by the SAPS.
“During the bail application, he submitted an affidavit where he asked the court to release him on R10,000 bail because he is taking care of his sick child and nephew. Moreover, he told the court that he was busy with his paralegal studies. Therefore, if he is denied bail, the court will not be able to complete his studies. However, the prosecutor Terrence Marx opposed his bail and told the court that the state has a strong case against the accused since he was linked through DNA scientific evidence in most of the charges. Furthermore, if the accused is convicted, he is facing multiple life sentences. Therefore, he is likely to evade trial and might interfere with state witnesses.”
“Magistrate Vinnie Gobind agreed with the state that the accused was indeed a flight risk. He committed the offenses five years before he was arrested. Not only did he threaten to kill his victims if they reported, but he also threatened to even kill their dogs. Moreover, the magistrate said the accused failed to show exceptional circumstances that warrant his release on bail,” concluded Mahanjana.
The matter is postponed for further investigations and will return on July 13 at Benoni Regional Magistrates Court.