One of Limpopo’s most wanted alleged criminals, who has been terrorizing communities at Makhuvha and the Thohoyandou Block F areas, is safely behind bars.

Thohoyandou police confirmed the arrest and subsequent appearance of the 39-year-old in the Thohoyandou Magistrate’s Court this week. The arrest of the man, who has been linked to a spate of rapes, attempted rapes and assaults, signaled an end to complaints by communities he allegedly terrorized between 2007 and 2009 and was hailed as big breakthrough on the part of the police.

Capt Mashudu Malelo of the Thohoyandou police said the man’s first reported crime occurred on March 7, 2007 at about 10:00 when he allegedly confronted a 21-year-old victim, who was walking down a street in Thohoyandou, and demanded money and a cell phone at knifepoint. The suspect also allegedly forced her to accompany him to nearby bushes, where he raped her.

On the 19th of the same month in 2007, he allegedly forced an 18-year-old girl into the bush at Thohoyandou Block F and raped her. After some intensive police investigations, the suspect was arrested on March 29, 2007 and appeared in court; he was granted bail. He absconded and was never seen again, whereupon a warrant of arrest was issued against him. A massive manhunt was launched by the police, but the hunt yielded no fruit.

The suspect had allegedly continued with his crimes during this time and, on January 19, 2008 at about 17:00, it is alleged that he confronted a 15-year-old girl who was in the company of a friend at Makhuvha Village outside Thohoyandou. He allegedly chased the friend away after threatening her with a knife, forcing the girl to accompany him to a nearby bushy area where he tried unsuccessfully to rape her. The girl was rescued by members of the community, who were informed by the other girl who escaped.

According to the police, it is further alleged that on March 29 this year, at about 22:30, he confronted a 39-year-old woman, who was crossing a local soccer ground at Makhuvha village and forcefully raped her at knife point. The last incident reported was on April 14 this year, where a 14-year-old girl claimed to have been raped by the same suspect in January 2009. The girl has since fallen pregnant.

The same suspect is also linked to three cases of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, where the victims were assaulted with an iron bar and a knife.

The police’s tireless investigations paid off when the suspect, who was described as a threat to the community, was arrested at his home village, Makhuvha.

Malelo thanked the community for their role in the arrest of the suspect. “It is only through such partnerships that we as a nation can beat crime. Criminals live in the community, and they are known to you. Please, let us expose them and they won’t have anywhere to hide,” he said.

The case was postponed to the 22nd of June, 2009, and no bail was granted.