A 36-year-old man accused of committing a series of rapes across KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng has been arrested after spending 16 years avoiding the police and the courts.
Detectives from the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit in Ulundi arrested the suspect in the Ncotshane area of Nongoma on Sunday, 21 September 2026.
Police said the investigation dates back to January 2010, when the suspect was allegedly involved in the rape of a woman in the Mahlabathini policing area.
The suspect was arrested at the time but was subsequently released on bail. According to police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda, he later failed to appear in court, resulting in a warrant being issued for his arrest.
Police allege that he continued committing sexual offences while out on bail.
DNA evidence kept the investigation alive
According to investigators, the suspect is linked to 14 rape cases involving women in several policing areas.
Seven of the alleged offences occurred in Pongola, while four were reported in Primrose and Germiston in Gauteng. Police also linked him to individual cases in Paulpietersburg and Magudu.
Investigators said the suspect allegedly targeted women who were alone in their homes. His reported modus operandi involved breaking through a window or forcing open a door before threatening victims with a knife.
Netshiunda said evidence collected during the suspect’s original arrest in 2010 later proved significant in the investigation.
Police used DNA analysis to connect the suspect with the cases, providing investigators with a forensic link between the man and the alleged attacks.
He is expected to appear in the Mahlabathini Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 21 September, initially in connection with his failure to appear in court in 2010.
Police said he will subsequently face formal charges relating to the other 13 rape cases.
The arrest brings to an end one of the longer-running manhunts involving a suspected serial sexual offender in the province, although the court process will determine the allegations against the accused.
Meanwhile, KwaZulu-Natal police have also announced the arrest of another man suspected of carrying out a series of sexual attacks over an extended period.
The second suspect, aged 46, is accused of terrorising women in and around Cato Manor for more than a decade. Police said DNA evidence has linked him to 16 attacks recorded across KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.
Second suspect linked to 16 attacks
Investigators allege that the second suspect followed women from taverns before targeting their homes. Police further allege that he broke into residences and assaulted women while armed with a knife.
Netshiunda said specialised SAPS units spent considerable time examining the cases and comparing available evidence before establishing links between the suspect and multiple attacks.
The investigation included DNA analysis and profiling of the alleged offending pattern.
The suspect is expected to appear in the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Monday, where he will face multiple charges, including rape, housebreaking and attempted murder.
Police said the arrests demonstrate the importance of preserving forensic evidence in investigations that can remain unresolved for years.
In the first case, evidence collected when the suspect was initially arrested in 2010 remained available for later forensic analysis and helped investigators connect him to multiple alleged offences.
Both investigations now move into the court process, where the allegations and evidence will be tested.