Durban serial rapist linked to 14 incidents behind bars after court appearance - IOL

The KwaZulu-Natal Community Safety and Liaison Department holds a placard protest outside the Durban Magistrate's Court on Monday. Premier Thami Ntuli also attended the first court appearance of a suspected serial rapist.

The Durban Magistrate's has remanded into police custody a suspected serial rapist linked to 14 cases in Cato Manor at his appearance on Monday.

The court ordered that the 46-year-old man not be named because of the charges he faces. He will return to court on September 28. 

The man was arrested on Thursday by police from the Serial and Electronic Crime Investigation (SECI) and Investigative Psychology Unit (IPU) which are within the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit (FCS). He has been charged for multiple incidents of rape, house breaking and attempted murder.

Police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said the offences may date back to 2014, and between that year and 2025 the man had allegedly raped 14 women in Cato Manor. Police alleged that the man also raped a woman in the Pietermaritzburg district.

"The man operated mostly at night, and his modus operandi was to follow women of different ages from taverns to their homes where he reportedly raped them and robbed them of their belongings. In some instances, the suspect allegedly broke into houses and raped his victims at knifepoint, especially vulnerable women who were staying alone."

Netshiunda said the victims could not identify their attacker because he disguised his face by wearing a pantyhose over his head. However, police detectives and investigators from the specialised units connected the dots, established a modus operandi, and linked the man to the attacks through DNA.

KZN Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli attended the court appearance to highlight the government’s commitment to supporting efforts to combat gender-based violence and ensuring that cases of serious and violent crime are brought before the courts. Ntuli commended the police for the arrest.

“The arrest demonstrates the importance of professional, intelligence-led and evidence-based policing, particularly in cases involving violence against women. Their work demonstrates what is possible when investigators pursue evidence relentlessly and use specialised policing capabilities to protect our communities,” he said.

Ntuli added that the arrest comes during an exceptionally painful period for the country, in which the discovery of the bodies of women in Gauteng has once again confronted South Africans with the devastating reality of gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF).

“This has been a week of shame for our nation. We have seen the bodies of women discovered and families plunged into unimaginable grief. We cannot allow such horror to become normalised. Every woman whose life is cut short is a human life lost, a family devastated and a community wounded,” he said.

The Premier said the latest arrest reinforces the meaning of the provincial campaign 'Silwa Nechilo' — we fight the shame — as a call for collective action against violence directed at women and children.

“'Silwa Nechilo'" is not a slogan; it is a commitment. It means that we refuse to look away; we refuse to normalise violence; and we refuse to accept that women must live in fear. It means strengthening prevention, policing, investigations, prosecution and survivor support — and holding perpetrators accountable within the law,” he said.

Ntuli also welcomed the role of specialist policing in building cases through forensic and investigative evidence, noting that successful prosecutions depend on strong investigations from the moment a crime is reported. He urged communities to continue working with the police and to provide information that could assist investigators, while respecting the integrity of ongoing criminal proceedings.

“An arrest is an important step, but it is not a conviction. We must allow the courts to do their work. Our responsibility as government is to ensure that the criminal justice system is supported to investigate thoroughly, prosecute diligently and protect survivors with dignity,” he said.

Ntuli said survivors and families had courage in reporting crimes, and participating in the justice process contributes to bringing perpetrators before the courts.

“To every survivor who has found the courage to speak, report and seek justice: we hear you. To every family mourning a daughter, mother, sister or loved one: we stand with you. And to those who prey upon women and children, our message is unequivocal — the State will pursue you.” 

Ntuli said the fight against gender-based violence requires more than government alone and called for communities, men, traditional and faith leaders, civil society, the private sector and the criminal justice system to play their part.