A MAN accused of raping and robbing women will spend Christmas behind bars.
The 37-year-old made his second appearance in the Acornhoek Magistrates Court on Tuesday, 21 December following his arrest on Tuesday, 14 December.
Prosecutor Moses Sibanda said: “The accused is facing six counts of rape, which are a very serious offence and fall under schedule six.”
The accused lured victims through Facebook by promising them jobs then allegedly raped and robbed them.
Police spokesman Brigadier Selvy Mohlala said the accused allegedly orchestrated the rapes and robberies from November 2019, targeting women in Acornhoek.
“The defenceless women were sadly raped, as well as robbed of their personal items in Acornhoek and Calcutta,” said Mohlala.
He said several cases were opened separately and members of the provincial family violence, child protection and sexual offences unit, working with their counterparts in Acornhoek, were assigned to investigate.
“During the investigation, the team discovered that the suspect had been operating in the area for a while.
“The suspect was apprehended in Acornhoek on Tuesday, 14 December after being sought by the police for more than two years,” said Mohlala.
Mpumalanga acting police commissioner Major-General Buti Lekubu said they appreciated the swift reaction of the unit, which led to the suspect’s arrest.
“We further make a call to those who fell victim to violent crimes in the past but never reported such cases to come forward and immediately report at their nearest police stations,” he said.
The matter was postponed to 12 January.
