Cape Town - The State claims a man on trial for the rape of 14 women has been linked to the crimes through DNA, cellphone tracking, and his victims who identified him.
Siyamcela Ntombini, 30, is alleged to have raped the women in a year-long reign of terror from September 2014 to September 2015, with the State charging that he kidnapped 13 of his 14 victims.
He has also been charged with robbing his victims, being in possession of an unlicensed firearm and the illegal possession of ammunition.
State prosecutor advocate Pulane Thaiteng alleges that Ntombini lured unsuspecting women at the Bellville transport exchange under the pretext of giving them cleaning and security guard jobs at the Tygerberg Hospital.
The women, between the ages of 19 and 37, eager to find employment, would accept his offer.
Ntombini would allegedly walk his victims to an open field, bushy area or under a bridge and demand sex, threatening them with a firearm or a knife.
Ntombini denied knowing the victims or being in the vicinity of Bellville. He told the court the last time he was in Bellville was in 2010.
He said he worked for King Korn Constructions in the Waterfront during the week between 7am and 5:30pm and only got his off day during weekends.
Sometimes he would do odd jobs at Wynberg, plastering some homes.
When Ntombini was asked to comment about the allegations against him, he replied: “No, I know nothing about that. I don’t know this person. Where does she know me from?”
Because Ntombini would answer questions in a rush, Acting Judge Nolita Kose told him not to feel pressurised, to take his time and answer questions accordingly.
“You are not answering questions. You are all over the show when you are answering,” said Judge Kose.
When Ntombini’s lawyer, who only gave her name as Mahlasela, told him that one of the victims alleges he took her from the Bellville CBD to a quieter place before raping her, Ntombini said: “She is mistaken, that was not me (and) I don’t know why she would say that.”
Mahlasela told him that DNA evidence was found in the vagina of the victims. Ntombini replied that he did not know how this happened.
A Samsung cellphone belonging to one of the victims was found in the possession of another person who told police Ntombini asked her to sell it and they would share the proceeds.