For two years he allegedly stalked and preyed on women and children paying their respects at the graves of their loved ones at Avalon Cemetery in Soweto.
Between April 2008 and August 2010 the 31-year-old (who cannot be named until he has pleaded) allegedly raped and robbed 14 females aged between 12 and 68.
According to the State’s preliminary indictment, he approached his victims within the boundaries of the cemetery.
He would offer to show them a shortcut out of the cemetery. Then, after throttling them and forcing them to undress, he would rape them and rob them of cellphones and cash.
The man faces multiple charges including 18 counts of rape, nine counts of kidnapping, three of sexual assault, five of robbery with aggravating circumstances, two of pointing a firearm, two of the unlawful possession of a firearm and one count of assault with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
He appeared briefly at the Johannesburg High Court on Tuesday, where his case was provisionally postponed to next Wednesday. He has yet to plead to the charges.
On April 1, 2008, in the first incident, a 54-year-old woman was visiting her late husband’s grave at the cemetery. The State alleges: “She met the accused and he escorted her to Chiawelo train station, and when they were close to the station, he pulled her into the bushes. The accused then strangled her and pushed her to the ground. He raped her and left the scene.”
On February 1, 2009, a 32- year-old woman was visiting her son’s grave when she was robbed of her handbag by a man. The State alleges that on her way out of the cemetery, she came across the accused and asked him to help her look for the person who had robbed her. When she decided to leave, the man allegedly became aggressive and threatened to stab her with a knife.
He choked her, pushed her to the ground and raped her after he forced her to undress. He then allegedly forced her to sit on the ground for about 15 minutes before sexually assaulting her again.
In November that year, the man is said to have raped a 45-year-old woman he had approached to take a shortcut through the cemetery.
In 2010, the man is accused of raping eight females, four of whom were minors and the eldest was 68.
According to the indictment, the 68-year-old woman was at the cemetery with her son and daughter to prepare for a tombstone unveiling. On her way to the gate of the cemetery she met the accused, who pretended to be concerned but then grabbed her by the throat and forced her to undress before raping her. He then fled.
l In April last year, The Star reported on the high number of cases of robbery and rape at Soweto cemeteries.
Police spokesman Kay Makhubela had told newspaper that 17 rape cases which happened near the Avalon Cemetery had been reported, while seven women reported being attacked in and around the Dobsonville Cemetery.
The Star