SAPS arrests alleged Facebook rapist after repeatedly raping victim in Limpopo

• The South African Police Service in Limppo arrested a man who allegedly lured his victims on facebook and raped them
• He lured his latest victim from Pretoria to Limpopo, where he raped her repeatedly and extorted her
• The police arrested him at a filling station, and South Africans applauded the cops for catching him

Tebogo Mokwena, a Briefly News current affairs journalist in Johannesburg, South Africa, covered criminal activities, cash-in-transit heists, kidnappings, taxi violence, police investigations, police shootouts and court cases at Daily Sun for over three years.

GIYANI, LIMPOPO — The South African Police Service (SAPS) arrested a man in Giyani, Limpopo on 19 May 2025 for allegedly raping a woman after luring her with the false promise of love and employment.

Alleged Facebook rapist arrested

According to the South African Police Service, the suspect lured the victim to Pretoria after pretending to be a man called Jeff Rals. When the victim realised that he did not look like his profile picture, he lied and said he was Jeff Rals' brother, who sent him to fetch her.

The suspect and the victim dove to Limpopo where he reportedly kept her in his homestead and raped her repeatedly. He also reportedly extorted her financially. The victim's friend alerted the police that his friend had fallen victim to a dating scam and was kidnapped. The Limpopo provincial commissioner, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe, was contacted and she mobilised a search team.

The victim and the suspect were traced five hours later at a filling station in Giyani, where he was stuck as he did not have money to fill his car with petrol. He was arrested and charged with rape and kidnapping.

The police have called on members of the public who have been his victims to step forward. The police also warned members of the public to be cautious and not fall for dating scams.

Recent rape cases

A KwaZulu-Natal traditional leader appeared in court on 12 May 2025 after he allegedly raped a teenager in eGqumeni. He offered her a life at night, and took her to a nearby bush where he raped her. Police Minister Senzo Mchunu condemned the incident and applauded his arrest.

Residents of the Dullstroom community in Mpumalanga were fuming that the teacher of a primary school refused to help a girl who was raped by a teenager at a singing competition. The learner, from Mpilontle Primary School, was raped on the premises of a high school where the singing competition was held.

Limpopo scholar transport arrested for rape

In a related article, Briefly News reported that a scholar driver in Limpopo was arrested for allegedly raping a five year-old between January and March 2025. The incident happened outside of Lebowakgomo.

The child told her grandmother despite the suspect threatening the victim not to report the crime. South Africans were livid that the incident happened.

"The ANC is too soft on criminals. The entire justice system needs to toughen up," a netizen said.

Another netizen called on the death penalty to be reinstated.

Source: Briefly News