AN serial rape suspect, who allegedly pretended to be a furniture salesman to lure one of his victims, is facing 17 charges relating to gender- based violence.
Siphebawo Mgoqi is facing 17 charges of violence, kidnapping, murder, attempted murder, rape, robbery and fraud. Five of these charges are rape.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson, Eric Ntabazalila, said Mgoqi’s pre-trial proceedings is set to continue in the Western Cape High Court after he appeared in absentia on Friday.
The State is set to prove that Mgoqi went on a spree of violent crime in 2016 in Philippi and Philippi-East.
He is believed to be behind the rape, kidnapping and attempted murder of a woman on April 4, 2016, in the vicinity of Brown’s Farm, Philippi.
Mgoqi allegedly kidnapped this victim from Heinz…