A 46-year-old man suspected of being a serial rapist and linked to 14 alleged sexual assault cases in Cato Manor appeared in court on Monday and was remanded in custody.
The court ordered that the accused’s identity should not be disclosed because of the nature of the charges against him. He is expected to appear again on 28 September 2026.
Police arrested the suspect on Thursday following an investigation conducted by the Serial and Electronic Crime Investigation (SECI) and Investigative Psychology Unit (IPU), both of which operate under the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit (FCS).
The man faces several charges, including multiple counts of rape, housebreaking and attempted murder.
According to police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda, the alleged offences may have started as far back as 2014. Police believe that between 2014 and 2025, the suspect allegedly raped 14 women in the Cato Manor area. Investigators have also linked him to an alleged rape in the Pietermaritzburg district.
Netshiunda said the suspect allegedly targeted women at night. According to police, he would follow women of different ages from taverns to their homes, where he allegedly assaulted them and stole their possessions.
In other alleged incidents, police said the man broke into homes and attacked women at knifepoint. Authorities said women who lived alone were among those allegedly targeted.
Investigators initially faced difficulties identifying the suspect because he allegedly concealed his face during the attacks by wearing pantyhose over his head.
However, detectives from the specialised police units were eventually able to identify similarities between the cases. Investigators established what police described as a common modus operandi and used DNA evidence to connect the suspect to the alleged attacks.
The accused will remain in custody until his next court appearance on 28 September 2026, while the investigation and legal proceedings continue.
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