Police Nab Alleged Vosman Serial Rapist Targeting Young Girls on the Streets, Appears in Court

• Mpumalanga police made a major breakthrough when they caught up to a serial rapist in Vosman
• The suspect, who cannot be named to protect the minors, allegedly targeted minors on the streets
• Police spokesperson Lt-Col Jabu Ndubane told Briefly News he was charged with 13 rape counts

WITBANK — An alleged serial offender, who targeted minor girls as they played, abducting and raping them, is off the streets of Mpumalanga.

An intensive manhunt yielded a breakthrough when law enforcement tracked down a suspected serial rapist on Friday, 17 January 2025.

Vosman serial rapist off streets

He allegedly operated in Emalahleni (formerly Witbank) and Mhluzi in Middelburg, targeting children as young as seven.

According to police information, he is allegedly involved in numerous kidnapping and rape cases, with his oldest suspected victim only 13.

The 39-year-old suspect was arrested during a court appearance in Vosman, an area of Emalahleni, where he was appearing for a separate assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH) case.

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Provincial police spokesperson Lt-Col Jabu Ndubane said the alleged rapes occurred from 2023 to 2024.

"While terrorising the Emalahleni area, he drove around [and] targeted the victims — young girls — as they played in the street," said Ndubane.

His modus operandi was to isolate the child by sending them to a tuck shop. He'd follow the victim, grab and force them inside the car.

He would then allegedly commit the rapes.

Several cases were opened, and the Family Violence, Child Protection, and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit undertook an investigation.

"The team worked around the clock, discovering there was a serial rapist behind these incidents, necessasitating the need to work with speed to put an end to the scourge. [After] connecting the dots, the police were led to the suspect [over the past] weekend."

Ndubane told Briefly News the suspect appeared in the Emalahleni Magistrate's Court on Monday, 20 January, charged with 13 rape counts. He was remanded in custody until his next appearance on 27 January for a formal bail application.

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Acting Provincial Commissioner Maj-Gen Zeph Mkhwanazi praised the police for their success in arresting the accused serial rapist. He said the victims could rest assured a dangerous criminal has been removed from society.

"We're adamant [moving forward] that the detectives and prosecutors will present a watertight case against the suspect for a conviction," he said.

Man nabbed for Ga-Chuene nurse rapes

In related news, Briefly News reported that a Limpopo man is in custody for the shocking rapes of two Ga-Chuene clinic nurses near Lebowakgomo.

The suspect allegedly forced the nurses from the facility at gunpoint while they were on duty on Friday, 10 January.

Source: Briefly News