A suspected serial rapist in the Vhembe District, Ofhani Mamphiswana Rantsana, appeared in the Thohoyandou Magistrate's Court last Friday afternoon. He faces four charges of rape, one charge of armed robbery, and one charge of possession of a dangerous weapon.
Rantsana is alleged to have preyed on unsuspecting female victims in and around Thohoyandou over the past few years.
A relative of one of the victims, who attended the court proceedings, said her younger sister had been raped multiple times by the suspect while being threatened with a dangerous weapon. Speaking to Limpopo Mirror on condition of anonymity to protect the identity of the victim, she said the suspect had allegedly lured her sister by promising to introduce her to a company looking to hire general workers.
"Instead of taking her to the company, he allegedly took her to a secluded spot and violently raped her while threatening her with a weapon," she said.
During the proceedings, Rantsana, through his legal aid lawyer, requested that photographers not be allowed to take pictures of him during the trial, arguing that he was a suspect, not a convicted criminal. The court denied this request, allowing members of the media to perform their duties.
The state prosecutor told the court that the accused had been linked to all the cases through DNA evidence. The prosecutor also indicated that additional rape charges might be brought against him as investigations continued.
Rantsana's case has been postponed to 28 November.