It took Captain Joyce Buthelezi 3 months to catch him initially. This time round, she nabbed him after just 4 days.
|||It took Captain Joyce Buthelezi three months to catch the alleged “Birthday Rapist” initially.
This time round, she slipped the handcuffs on him after just four days.
Mlungisi Mtshali, 30, was arrested in Pietermaritzburg on Sunday after he failed to appear in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.
Mtshali was released from Johannesburg Prison by Correctional Services after serving a sentence for escaping from prison in 2008. This is unrelated to his alleged rape charges.
Initially, the investigation had centred in Gauteng, where it is alleged he had targeted his victims. But new information led investigators to KwaZulu-Natal on Saturday.
Late on Sunday, the National Prosecuting Authority praised the decorated 20-year-veteran cop for her quick work.
“The NPA commends Captain Joyce Buthelezi for rearresting (Mtshali) within such a short space of time. We have arranged for witnesses to be in court tomorrow (on Tuesday) for trial to proceed. We are confident that we’ll secure convictions on all his charges,” NPA spokesman Mthunzi Mhaga said.
Mtshali had attempted to intimidate witnesses while on the run.
On Wednesday, in the Johannesburg Regional Court, it was found that the alleged rapist had been released by Correctional Services on February 13.
Sibongile Khumalo, spokeswoman for the Department for Correctional Services, said the circumstances over Mtshali’s release were being probed.
He is charged with 128 criminal counts including 30 of rape, sexual assault, kidnapping, theft, robbery and assault.
Mtshali was meant to stand trial on Wednesday, and the State had lined up three witnesses to testify against him on that day. When it was revealed that Mtshali was not among the awaiting-trial prisoners, the police launched an investigation.
Leading the investigation was Buthelezi, who back in August 2010 identified a string of similar rape cases and realised that a serial rapist was operating in Pretoria and Joburg.
He was soon dubbed the Birthday Rapist for his modus operandi, which involved approaching groups of women and inviting them to celebrate his birthday at a nearby restaurant or bar.
Later, the rapist would ask one of the women to accompany him to fetch his sister or a friend. He would take a metered taxi to either Hillbrow or the Joburg CBD and lure his victim to a hotel, where he would rape them.
He targeted his victims in Southgate Mall, Rosebank, Sandton and upmarket places in Pretoria.
In an interview with The Star last year, Buthelezi said she became so obsessed with catching the rapist, she began visiting malls, hoping to spot him.
Three months later, she finally got Mtshali after tracing him to KwaMashu, outside Durban.
For her work, Buthelezi was honoured with the Catch of the Year Award and received the prestigious Provincial Commissioner’s Award.
- The Star