NELSPRUIT – The Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela has clearly indicated that police regard cases of Gender-Based-Violence and Femicides in a very serious light. The sentiment by the General comes in a wake of a breakthrough whereby a 20-year-old male suspect was arrested yesterday afternoon, 26 May 2022 by Amersfoort Police on allegations of two separate counts of rape in which one of the victims was a minor, aged 16 who was allegedly raped by the suspect in the presence of her mom and brother in August 2021.
His arrest came as a result of a collaborative effort between the community and police. Members of the public did not hesitate but informed police about an alleged rapist who was on the run after being spotted yesterday by a victim’s mother in Amersfoort. Police are said to have then swiftly responded thereby cornering the suspect.
It is reported that the suspect has been in hiding ever since he allegedly raped two of his victims between July and August 2021 in Amersfoort. Police reports indicate that he allegedly pounced on his victims on two separate occasions.
In one of the incidents, during the evening in July 2021 the suspect, armed with a knife allegedly held a woman (31-year-old then) hostage, then robbed her of a cellphone and tekkies / sneakers and raped her before he fled with her personal items.
Thereafter the suspect allegedly entered a certain house in Amersfoort in August the same year, held a family hostage then raped a girl who was 16-years-old at the time, in front of her family and also robbed her of a cellphone and sneakers before he fled the scene.
Both incidents were assigned to an SAPS team from Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit (FCS) in Standerton to investigate. The FCS team are considered as experts in the field of probing cases mostly related to rapes and crimes committed against women and children.
The team worked tirelessly and his arrest took place in the eve of Child Protection Week. The suspect will possibly be linked to the rape cases and police cannot rule out the possibility of adding more charges against him as the investigation continues.
In the meantime, the Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela emphasized the critical part that the public can play in the value chain of addressing Gender-Based-Violence and Femicide thereby ensuring that perpetrators thereof are swiftly brought to book. “We are forever grateful for the overwhelming support that we receive from our communities in this province through provision of information on the whereabouts of wanted suspects. The battle against the scourge is winnable as long as we continue to work together where all role players do their parts” said the General.
Source: South African Police Service