Johannesburg – The South Gauteng High Court on Monday postponed the case against a 38-year-old serial rapist charged with 76 counts of rape, assault and robbery. Sija Mabitsela is one of two men dubbed the Alexandra balaclava serial rapists.
Mabitsela pleaded guilty to all the charges against him. His case was postponed to March 15 for a plea and sentence agreement.
Mabitsela’s victims were aged between 13 and 38-years-old at the time of the rapes.
It is alleged that Mabitsela and his co-accused, 48, operated as serial rapists preying on couples. Most of the attacks happened in cemeteries and a filling station in Tsutsumani, Alexandra.
Mabitsela was reportedly a local sangoma and operated alone from 2007 until he was allegedly joined by his accomplice around 2014, who was a parolee at the time. Mabitsela was arrested in 2015.
His co-accused cannot be named as he has not yet pleaded to the charges against him.
Its alleged the men used a gunshot signal after they had spotted their victims. They would allegedly attack couples, forcing them to have sex while they watched. They would then allegedly take turns raping the women, before robbing both their victims.
Mabitsela's co-accused is expected to appear in the South Gauteng High Court on Tuesday.