16‑year manhunt ends as KZN police arrest suspected serial rapist; DNA links him to 14 attacks

Police have arrested a 36‑year‑old man in KwaZulu‑Natal, bringing to an end a 16‑year manhunt after investigators linked him by DNA to the rapes of 14 women, authorities said. Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences detectives detained the suspect in the Ncotshane area in Nongoma on Sunday, 20 September 2026.

How investigators closed the case

Police said the alleged offences began in January 2010 with the rape of a woman at Mahlabathini. Investigators linked the suspect to the 14 cases through DNA analysis, authorities said.

SAPS spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda described the suspect’s pattern: he would break a window or a door of houses where women were staying alone and threaten victims with a knife, the police statement said.

“During his arrest in 2010, police did due diligence in collecting evidence, and investigations linked him to all the cases through DNA analysis.”

Bail, absconding and alleged further attacks

Colonel Netshiunda said the suspect was initially arrested and released on bail, after which he absconded from court and a warrant was issued. While out on bail, police allege he raped women in several policing precincts: seven women in Pongola, four women in Primrose and Germiston in Gauteng province, and one woman each in Paulpietersburg and Magudu.

Court appearance and next steps

The 36‑year‑old is due to appear in the Mahlabathini Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 21 September 2026, on a charge related to his failure to appear in 2010, and will thereafter be formally charged in the other cases, police said.

Separate arrest in Cato Manor

Police also announced the arrest of a 46‑year‑old suspected serial rapist in Cato Manor following intensive investigations by specialised SAPS units. The suspect was alleged to have stalked women from taverns, broken into homes and assaulted victims at knife‑point, the statement said.

Netshiunda said the arrest followed persistent investigative work using DNA analysis and profiling.

Impact on communities

“For more than a decade, women in Cato Manor and beyond lived in fear of this predator. His arrest sends a clear message – the Saps will not rest until those who prey on vulnerable citizens are removed from our streets.”