By OBAKENG MAJE
29 September 2026 – A man (38) who has been linked through DNA evidence to multiple rape cases, was arrested. The accused, Joseph Mokgwetsi, who is also known as Papi, was arrested in Vryburg on 23 September 2026, following an intensive multidisciplinary investigation involving the Investigative Psychology Unit (IPU), Mmabatho Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit, and Provincial Serial and Electronic Crime Investigation (SECI) Unit.
The North West police spokesperson, Captain Majang Skalkie said the investigation involved the analysis of evidence and links between several cases, with forensic testing ultimately positively connecting Mokgwetsi to the offences under investigation. Skalkie said one of the cases dates back to 2012, when a woman (24) was allegedly approached by an unknown man while walking home from a tavern in Kanana Township, near Orkney.
“She was allegedly dragged to an open space in Vaalpark, assaulted and raped. In another case in 2016, a girl (16) was allegedly raped after she and her friend encountered an unknown man outside a tavern.
“The suspect allegedly asked them to accompany him to an ATM before breaking into a house when it started raining. The girl was allegedly raped in front of her friend and later taken to another house, where she was allegedly raped again,” she said.
Skalkie further said a third case occurred in Huhudi Township, near Vryburg in 2022, where a woman (20) was allegedly raped at a graveside after she followed a suspect who had allegedly grabbed her cell phone, while she was outside a tavern answering a call from her father. She added that Mokgwetsi is also linked to a 2016 rape case in Meadowlands.
“He briefly appeared before the Atamelang Magistrate’s Court on 25 September 2026, and was remanded in custody until 5 October 2026, for a bail application. The DNA breakthrough was the result of collaboration between specialised police units.
“Cases involving sexual offences require thorough, victim-centred investigations. The multidisciplinary team pursued all available leads and used forensic evidence to identify and arrest the suspect linked to these cases,” said Skalkie.
She said the investigation demonstrated the importance of specialised investigative capabilities and cooperation between units in strengthening sexual offence cases and bringing suspects before the courts.
