Joseph Mokgwetsi, 38, also known as Papi, appeared in the Atamelang Magistrate’s Court on Friday (25/9) on charges related to the cases. He was remanded in custody until next Monday, when he is expected to apply for bail.

Mokgwetsi was arrested in Vryburg on Wednesday (23/9) following a lengthy investigation that included forensic analysis. North West police spokesperson Capt. Majang Skalkie said DNA evidence positively linked him to several cases under investigation.

“The investigation was driven by collaboration among the specialised units, which worked together to analyse available evidence, establish connections between cases, and identify the suspect.”

One of the cases dates back to 2012, when a 24-year-old was reportedly approached by an unknown man while walking home from a tavern in Kanana. Police said the man allegedly dragged her to an open area at Vaalpark, where he assaulted and raped her.

In another case in 2016, a 16-year-old girl and her friend reportedly encountered an unknown man outside a tavern. Skalkie said the man asked the girls to accompany him to an ATM. When it started raining, the suspect allegedly broke into a house and raped the teenager in front of her friend. He then allegedly chased the friend away and took the victim to another house, where she was raped again.

Another case dates back to 2022, when a 20-year-old was at a tavern in Huhudi and went outside to answer a telephone call from her father.

Someone allegedly grabbed her phone and ran away. She followed the suspect before encountering another man who asked what she was doing outside in the dark. He allegedly took her to a gravesite, where he raped her. Police said Mokgwetsi has also been linked to a 2016 rape case in Meadowlands. His arrest comes as North West police continue efforts to combat gender-based violence and femicide.

Meanwhile, police have welcomed an 18-year prison sentence handed to Thapelo Sesipi, 26, after he was convicted of rape by the Ganyesa Regional Court last Wednesday.

The case stems from an incident on Sunday, 7 July 2020. Police said the complainant, the sister of the 12-year-old, found Sesipi on a bed with the child.

She left the house to seek help and, when she returned, Sesipi was no longer there. The child later told her sister that he had raped her. The matter was reported to Bray police station, where a rape case was opened for investigation. 

Skalkie said DNA evidence positively linked Sesipi to the offence and that he admitted guilt. The court also ordered that his name be entered in the National Register for Sex Offenders and declared him unfit to possess a firearm in terms of Section 103 of the Firearms Control Act.

Meanwhile, Gauteng police say they cannot rule out the possibility of a serial killer following similarities identified in ten deaths in Ekurhuleni and another in Soweto.

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