Man faces 104 charges including 22 of rape

DISTURBING details of an alleged serial rapist charged with 22 counts of rape and three of sexual assault in the Tembisa/Midrand area were unveiled yesterday in the Johannesburg High Court.

Joseph Rasempane Mahloma, 28, from Ebony Park in Midrand, allegedly began his reign of terror in January 2011. He was arrested in August 2014. According to the charge sheet read out by State prosecutor Deborah Zinn, early on January 1, 2011, Mahloma and an unknown accomplice armed themselves with an illegal firearm and a steel pipe.

They then forced two girls and a young woman – aged between 14 and 18 – at gunpoint to an open field near Themba Khoza informal settlement, Tembisa, and raped all three.

Mahloma and his accomplice also allegedly robbed the three of a cellphone and a school bag.

A reliable source close to the investigations told The Star that the police had yet to find and arrest the accomplice as Mahloma “refused” to name him.

He also said Mahloma claimed “he is prepared to take on the accomplices charges for himself ”.

The charge sheet also says Mahloma and his accomplice made some of his victims perform peculiar acts after committing the alleged rapes.

This includes an event in April 2014 in Kaalfontein, Tembisa, where the State alleges that Mahloma – in “defeating or obstructing the administration of justice” – “instructed” a woman to “wash herself in sewage water, take off her clothes which he then threw in the sewage water and she had to walk home naked.

“The accused, when he acted as aforesaid, well knew and intended that his actions would have the following results or consequences: wash away any DNA evidence and whereas, as a result of the actions of the accused, (the woman) washed herself in sewerage water and walked home naked…”

In another incident, Mahloma is alleged to have “forced” another woman, after allegedly raping her, to wash herself and her clothes inside a standalone toilet with the soiled contents inside the toilet, and forced the woman to wear the soiled clothes when he walked her to her home.

All this came after he allegedly committed numerous other crimes.

Mahloma, in addition to the charges of rape, is also facing an additional 82 charges – including 18 for the unlawful possession of a firearm, 17 for kidnapping, 13 for housebreaking with the intent to rob.

In addition, there were four counts of defeating or obstructing the administration of justice and two for assault and/or assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm; according to the indictment.

Mahloma pleaded not guilty to all 104 charges.

His legal representative, advocate J N Malende, told the court that Mahloma’s not-guilty plea “was in accordance with (his) instructions”.

This was because Mahloma said “he did not commit the said and preferred charges” that were put to him.

Accused says he is prepared to take on the accomplice charges himself