20101109
africanews

Police in South Africa's Hillbrow area have pleaded with the public for backing to hunt down a man accused of committing over 10 rapes since August, a Gauteng spokesperson said on Tuesday.

"The suspect is targeting young black females between the ages of 19 and 21 in and around the Johannesburg area and more recently in Pretoria," said Colonel Gerard Labuschagne.

The man believes to be in his 20s or early 30s approaches group of women neatly dressed with names like "S’bu", "Sibusiso", "Zamani", or "Vusi" and invites them to celebrate his birthday with him at a nearby restaurant or bar. He also has a large operation scar down his stomach and an old scar on his arm.

He requests one of them to accompany him to fetch his sister or a friend taking a metered-taxi into Hillbrow or central Johannesburg and then lures her victim into a room in a hotel under the pretext of fetching his sister, a friend or his luggage.

Threatens victim

Once inside the room he rapes her victims and detain them overnight.

Labuschagne said, "he threatens victims at gun point so that they do not scream.” Adding, "In the morning he tells the victim that he is going to redraw money or get food and after a while she realizes the door is unlocked and she is free."

According to SAPA the last rape that is suspected of being committed by this person was reported last week.

"The statistic is that only one in nine rapes are reported so I think there must be many more than 12 rapes by this rapist."

The alleged rapist is believed to be armed and the public have been advised to contact 082 770 5195 if they have any more information on him.