A 36-year-old serial rape suspect has been arrested in KwaZulu-Natal after evading police for 16 years. Image Supplied
Police have arrested a 36-year-old serial rape suspect in KwaZulu-Natal after 16 years on the run. Members of the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit arrested him in the Ncotshane area of Nongoma on Sunday 20 September 2026. The serial rapist arrested is linked to 14 rape cases spanning KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.
DNA analysis tied him to all 14 cases during the original 2010 investigation. Police first arrested him in January 2010 in Mahlabathini following the first reported attack. He received bail and absconded from court, evading law enforcement for 16 years. Provincial police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda confirmed the breakthrough. “During his arrest in 2010, police did due diligence in collecting evidence, and investigations linked him to all the cases through DNA analysis,” he said.
His attacks spanned multiple areas across two provinces. He allegedly raped seven women in Pongola, four in Primrose and Germiston in Gauteng, and one each in Paulpietersburg and Magudu. In every case, he targeted women living alone. He broke windows or doors to gain entry and then threatened his victims with a knife.
Suspect Faces Court on Bail Jumping Charge First
The suspect appeared before the Mahlabathini Magistrates Court on Monday 21 September 2026. Prosecutors charged him first with failing to appear in court in 2010. Formal charges for the remaining 13 rape cases will follow in subsequent court appearances.
Furthermore, his arrest comes during a period of heightened national focus on gender-based violence. South Africa has seen a surge in arrests connected to serial rape and murder cases in recent weeks. The Ekurhuleni women murders investigation in Gauteng is among the cases drawing public attention.
In addition, police confirmed that a separate 46-year-old suspected serial rapist faces investigation. DNA links him to 16 attacks across KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. That case remains open and further details are expected as investigators progress.
The Nongoma arrest closes a 16-year chapter in a case where investigators preserved DNA evidence across more than a decade. South African women’s rights organisations welcomed the news and called for the full weight of the law to apply when the matter returns to court.
Read also: Police Arrest Three Suspects in Ekurhuleni Women Murder Series Breakthrough