POLOKWANE – A 21-year-old man, Mehlodi Robert Baloyi from Extension 71A has been found guilty on four counts of rape, a count of robbery with aggravating circumstances and a count of theft.
Baloyi appeared on trial where the Limpopo High Court: Polokwane Division heard that he placed an advertisement on a Facebook page, pretending to be a tattoo artist. He was well known as ‘Caption CJ’.
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NPA Regional Spokesperson Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi said the complainant contacted the accused and agreed to meet him at his home.
“Upon arrival at his residential place, the accused pretended to initiate the crafting of a tattoo. During the process, he threatened the victims with steel and a panga and forcefully undressed them before raping them. The accused would then take pictures and video footage of the victim while naked and threaten to post them on social media if they reported it to the police,” she said.
Malabi-Dzhangi said Baloyi also told another complainant that he would invite Zimbabwean men into his yard to join him in raping her and that she would be buried.
“He also threatened to traffic the victims and robbed them of their cellphones and money amounting to R40. He then escorted the victims out of his residence and left them at a local tuckshop.
The state alleged that the commission of the crimes was pre-planned,” she said.
Malabi-Dzhangi added that all the crimes happened during the victims’ first time meeting the accused and that Baloyi raised a defence of consensual intercourse.
“The case will continue on May 30 for pre-sentencing procedures,” she concluded.
