BLOEMSPRUIT – A 45-year-old man who allegedly absconded after being granted bail on a rape charge in 2020 has been re-arrested by the South African Police Service (SAPS) Free State Provincial Tracking Team.
The suspect, Tshidiso Michael Mokhuane (45), was apprehended on Wednesday, 15 July, at approximately 19:25 after investigators tracked him to a hideout in an informal settlement near Suncity in the Bloemspruit area.
According to police, Mokhuane had been evading justice after failing to appear in court following his release on bail.
The arrest relates to an alleged rape that took place in the early hours of 1 November 2020.
A 50-year-old woman and her boyfriend were asleep at their home in Bloemspruit when they were awakened by the sound of breaking glass. They allegedly found the woman’s former boyfriend, Mokhuane, outside the house, shouting insults and attempting to force his way inside.
The woman’s boyfriend reportedly locked himself in a room out of fear for his safety. Police allege that Mokhuane then forcibly took the woman to his nearby shack, where he raped her before locking her inside until the following afternoon.
The woman allegedly managed to escape and returned to her boyfriend’s home, where the incident was reported to Bloemspruit police. A rape case was subsequently opened and Mokhuane was arrested before being released on bail.
After he failed to attend subsequent court proceedings, a warrant was issued for his arrest.
Acting on information received, members of the Provincial Tracking Team traced and arrested the suspect, ending a search that had continued for several years.
Mokhuane is expected to appear in the Bloemspruit Magistrate’s Court, where he will face the original rape charge as well as additional charges relating to his alleged failure to appear in court.
Police said the arrest demonstrates the Provincial Tracking Team’s continued commitment to locating wanted suspects and ensuring that those accused of serious crimes are brought before the courts.
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