Byline: Nonjabuliso Nhlambo
12 May 2025
The trial of alleged serial rapist Mpanza, who is accused of targeting young women hitchhiking in the Govan Mbeki region, resumed on Monday, 12 May 2025 at the Evander Magistrate’s Court, with shocking testimony revealing claims of witness manipulation and police impersonation.
Mpanza, who is facing six counts of rape, six counts of kidnapping, and one count of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH), continues to represent himself in court.
During proceedings, Constable Skhumbuzo Dube took the stand and admitted to commissioning a withdrawal statement brought in by one of the victims and her mother. He testified that he signed the affidavit without reading it back to the victim, as it was already prepared and he assumed the victim was familiar with its contents.
Further testimony came from Sergeant Malapela, a seasoned investigator from the Family Violence Unit in Secunda and the National Office, who has been leading the case since it was first opened in February 2021.
According to Malapela, the victim’s family reported that a man claiming to be a police officer visited their home and presented a pre-written statement, instructing them to copy the information onto a clean affidavit. The man allegedly told the family that Mpanza was about to be released and would sue the State and the NPA, urging them to withdraw the case “for their own safety”.
The man then escorted them to Leandra Police Station, where Constable Dube signed the new affidavit, which the man took with him. The court heard that the original affidavits have since gone missing, and Mpanza submitted copies of the documents, claiming he received them from his former lawyer.
During his investigation, Sgt. Malapela found that the impersonator forgot to take the original instruction sheet, which included the victim’s and her mother’s names, and the phrase: “Copy everything as it is.”
Following these revelations, a case of impersonating a police officer was opened at Embalenhle SAPS. Additionally, victims involved in the trial have reportedly been receiving threatening messages from unknown numbers, with only two victims escaping the harassment after changing their phone numbers.
Mpanza has informed the court that he will not be calling any witnesses, as his family resides in Nelspruit and are unable to attend.
The trial continues as the court weighs damning claims of interference, raising serious concerns about the safety of witnesses and the integrity of the judicial process.
