By Staff Reporter
news@alexreporter.co.za
A man accused of raping a 32-year-old woman in August was released on bail, despite calls from the state prosecutor to remand him in custody. Less than a week later, he was accused of raping a second victim.
On 10 August, the suspect is alleged to have kidnapped his first victim and taken her to one of his mother’s houses in Protea Glen, Soweto, where he raped her.
He was arrested the following day.
Speaking to Scrolla.Africa from her rented room in Kagiso, the first victim, 32, said the man had kidnapped her from a chesa’nyama.
“He drove around recklessly and showed me two firearms and on the way to the house, he fired several shots in the air,” she said.
“I was very traumatised.”
The woman said when they arrived at the house she was relieved to be met there by an elderly woman, who turned out to be the suspect’s mother.
But her relief was unfounded.
She said the suspect brought the two guns from the car inside and laid them on the kitchen table.
“His mother took them to her bedroom. Later she gave them back to him when he took me to his mother’s other house in Soweto,” she said.
“I told his mother that she had failed me.”
The woman said she was relieved to hear that police had arrested the man the following day, and that his firearms had been seized.
However, she was terrified to learn that on 2 September, her assailant had been released on R3,000 bail.
Six days later, the suspect arrived at the police station to report to the police as part of his bail conditions. There, he found the investigating officer waiting for him to arrest him for raping a second victim after he had been released.
“If the court didn’t give him bail, he wouldn’t have raped the next victim. This country’s justice system fails women,” said his first victim.
Police have linked the man to other rape cases which have occured around Kagiso and Soweto.
Police spokesman Captain Solomon Sibiya said the suspect is facing multiple charges of rape, kidnapping, possession of unlicensed firearm and intimidation, among others.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane said they will oppose any attempt by the suspect to get bail this time.
This article was first published by out sister publication, Scrolla.Africa
Kagiso rapist strikes again, just a week after walking out on bail
