KWAZULU-NATAL — A suspected serial rapist has been arrested in the Ncotshane area of Nongoma in connection with the rape of 14 women across the Zululand District and Gauteng Province. The 36-year-old suspect was taken into custody on Sunday, 20 September 2026, by detectives from the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit in Ulundi.
According to the FCS Unit, the suspect’s criminal activities began in January 2010 with the rape of a woman in Mahlabathini. Following his initial arrest, he was released on bail but subsequently absconded from court, leading authorities to issue a warrant for his arrest.
While evading justice, the suspect allegedly continued his violent campaign. Investigators report that he raped seven women in Pongola, four women in the Primrose and Germiston areas of Gauteng Province, and one woman each in the Paulpietersburg and Magudu policing precincts.
The FCS Unit detailed the suspect’s modus operandi, stating that he specifically targeted women living alone. He would gain entry to their residences by breaking a window or door and threaten the victims with a knife. During the initial 2010 investigation, police conducted thorough evidence collection, and subsequent DNA analysis definitively linked the suspect to all 14 cases.
The suspect is scheduled to appear at the Mahlabathini Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 21 September 2026. He will first face proceedings regarding his failure to appear in court in 2010, after which he will be formally charged with the remaining 13 rape cases.
