Limpopo police pounce on suspected rapists on Christmas Day

Limpopo police pounced on suspected rapists on Christmas Day, including a man who allegedly lured teenage girls on Facebook and then raped and robbed them in the bushes.

The alleged Facebook rapist, 20, was arrested on Wednesday by the Tzaneen family violence, child protection and sexual offences (FCS) unit.

Police had received reports of rape incidents from girls aged between 14 and 16 in the Modjadjiskloof and Bolobedu policing area since the start of December, Limpopo police spokesperson Brig Hlulani Mashaba said.

The man would allegedly lure his victims through Facebook and after meeting them at Kgapane Plaza would convince them to take a walk. When they reached the bushes near Manningburg, he would allegedly rape and rob the girls of their cash and cellphones, Mashaba said.

“In one of the cases, the suspect met a teenage girl while she was walking to her friend’s house in Ga-Kgapane village and attacked her from behind. He then blindfolded her and dragged her to the same crime scene — Manningburg — where he raped her before robbing her of cash and a cellphone.”

The alleged rapist was arrested at the Kgapane Hospital where he was admitted after one of his alleged victims attacked him in self-defence.

During the arrest, he was found in possession of a fake identity document, stolen cash and a cellphone, which the police recovered.

“According to preliminary investigations, the suspect was [out] on bail for another rape case involving a 14-year-old girl that occurred in September 2024, using the same modus operandi,” said Mashaba.

In a separate case that also happened on Christmas Day, a 37-year-old man was allegedly caught red-handed by the community while raping a 30-year-old woman near a local river in Kanana village.

The man had allegedly attacked the woman with a rock and punched her before raping her, Mashaba said.

“The victim was rescued by the community and her relatives. The suspect was also attacked by the community and eventually rescued by the police who took him to the hospital and placed him under [police] guard.”

The two suspects are expected to appear before the Tzaneen magistrate's court on Friday, said Mashaba.

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