Police in KwaZulu-Natal have arrested a 36-year-old man who is allegedly linked to the rape of 14 women in the Zululand District and Gauteng.
The suspect was arrested by detectives from the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit in Ulundi on Sunday, 20 September, in the Ncotshane area of Nongoma.
Police say the investigation dates back to January 2010, when the suspect allegedly raped a woman in Mahlabathini.
He was arrested at the time but was later released on bail. According to police, he subsequently failed to appear in court, resulting in a warrant being issued for his arrest.
While he was out on bail, the suspect allegedly raped seven women in Pongola, four women in Primrose and Germiston in Gauteng, and one woman each in Paulpietersburg and Magudu.
Police say the suspect allegedly targeted women who were alone at home. His modus operandi was to break a window or door before entering the property and threatening the victims with a knife.
Investigators collected evidence during his initial arrest in 2010. Police say subsequent DNA analysis linked the suspect to the 14 cases.
The suspect is expected to appear in the Mahlabathini Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 21 September, in connection with his failure to appear in court in 2010.
He will then be formally charged in connection with the other 13 rape cases.
The charges against the suspect have not yet been tested in court.