DURBAN - The suspected “Durban CBD” rapist is to know his fate when he appears for his bail application and decision at the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
The 50-year-old man was taken for an identity parade on Friday, as more victims reportedly came forward in some of the cases where he was positively identified through DNA.
The bail application, however, is for the two cases he had appeared for before. That being of a 14-year-old girl and 32-year-old woman, who were lured to bush where they were allegedly raped by the man.
KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Captain Nqobile Gwala said a family violence operation led to the arrest of the suspect in Malukazi, near Isipingo.
“On Sunday, January 30, detectives from the Inanda Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit arrested a 50-year-old suspect at Malukazi for rape. The first reported case dates back to 2008. Cases with a similar modus operandi kept on piling up until it became apparent that a serial rapist was in operation. A concerted effort was put into trying to arrest the perpetrator but he was proving to be very slippery when sought by police,” Gwala said.
In his first appearance, the court heard that the two cases he was appearing for occurred near the Isipingo Taxi Rank.
Prosecutor, Rani Pillay, said the accused lured a teen girl victim after she had been robbed.
“In the case involving the minor, the accused approached her to seemingly help after she had been robbed near the taxi rank. Trusting him, the victim agreed to be helped but was later forced into bush near the area, where he undressed and raped her. The victim managed to identify the accused through an identikit which was provided by the police,” said Pillay.
Pillay said the same thing happened to the second victim, although this time the accused pretended to be lost.
“The 32-year-old victim accompanied the suspect to the Isipingo area after he had convinced her he was not from the area, and was lost.
“On their way to the place he had said he was going to, he became aggressive and forced her out of the car. He led the victim into the same bush where he had led victim one into, and removed her clothes, then proceeded to rape her.
“He also allegedly strangled the victim and left her unconscious. The matter was later reported to the police,” said Pillay.
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