by NOKUTHULA HLATSHWAYO
THE man accused of raping and killing two 11-year-old girls from the same family in Embalenhle, Mpumalanga appears to be a serial perpetrator of such acts against youngsters.
Themba Shongwe (30), who has appeared at Evander Magistrates Court for the allegedly killing cousins Nokulunga and Olerato Nkutha, has been linked to a number of contact crimes involving girls aged between 11 and 16.
Brigadier Leonard Hlathi, the South African Police Service (SAPS) spokesperson, said forensic investigations established the suspect, mostly
knife-wielding, would accost his victims, drag them to the bush, rape them and dump their bodies on the street.
Shongwe is facing three counts of murder, rape and kidnapping as well as a count of robbery with aggravated robbery.
The most gruesome of these alleged crimes were perpetrated against the Nkutha cousins.
Nokulunga was raped and killed in 2006 while Olerato suffered similar fate in 2018.
The suspect has been denied bail.
