A 32-year-old foreign national accused of terrorising women-headed households across Limpopo’s Mopani and Vhembe districts is expected to appear in the Giyani Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday facing 66 charges.
Limpopo police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba said the accused is linked to a string of violent house robberies and rapes committed between 2014 and 2020.
Ledwaba said the accused allegedly targeted homes headed by women, breaking into the properties before attacking victims with a sharp object, raping them and stealing their belongings.
His alleged victims included women aged up to 74.
According to Ledwaba, forensic evidence was used to link the accused to the crimes.
He said the accused was initially arrested in 2020 but escaped from lawful custody before being rearrested in 2022.
He has remained in custody since then and allegedly used different names on occasions in an attempt to evade identification.
Ledwaba said the investigation by the Provincial Investigation Unit has resulted in 66 charges being enrolled on an indictment for trial at the Thohoyandou High Court, which is expected to resume on January 25, 2027.
A further seven cases currently before another court are being joined to the indictment and are expected to be consolidated.
The charges include 17 counts of rape, 16 of robbery with aggravating circumstances, 35 of burglary, three of attempted murder, three of murder and one of escaping from lawful custody.
Limpopo police commissioner Lieutenant General Jan Scheepers welcomed the progress in the case.
“This case reflects years of patient, dedicated investigative work by our detectives to hold this individual accountable for a prolonged campaign of terror against women in our communities,” Scheepers said.
“No woman should ever have to live in fear in her own home. We will continue to pursue this matter to its full conclusion in court, and we call on communities to continue working with police to keep our women and children safe.”
