Times Of Swaziland: MAN LURES WOMEN ON FACEBOOK, HELD FOR RAPE

MAN LURES WOMEN ON FACEBOOK, HELD FOR RAPE
================================================================================
BY STANLEY KHUMALO on 07/10/2021 08:21:00


MANZINI – As the overall unemployment rate is at 33.3 per cent, an opportunist
took advantage of this by preying on desperate female Facebook users and
allegedly raping them.
The suspect is a 27-year-old male of Dlangeni and he was arrested on Tuesday at
Ngculwini by police officers from the Mafutseni Police Station. According to
impeccable sources, the suspect lured women who had posted on various Facebook
groups seeking employment. He is said to have disguised his intentions of
sexually violating them under the pretext of having sourced employment for them.
This, it was said, he did by first sourcing his targets’ contacts from the
advertisements they had posted on the social media groups with the hope that
prospective employers would use when contacting them. Thereafter, it was
gathered that he would contact the females and inform them to come to Ngculwini
where he resided. According to sources, it was said *Muzi’s modus operandi
would be to pretend that he was a single parent raising an infant and as such,
he urgently needed a domestic assistant.
Desperation
Out of desperation, his targets are said to have fell for his tricks and
travelled to Ngculwini where he resided. One of the survivors is said to have
travelled to Ngculwini seeking to meet her employer but upon arrival, she noted
that the male was younger than what she had been made to believe. It was
gathered that she walked with him but along the way, Muzi started saying that
there were no prospects of employment instead she should be his girlfriend.
The job seeker was said to have panicked and communicated this with a relative;
but while that was happening, Muzi grabed the phone from her. The job seeker was
said to have fled from him and sought refuge in a nearby homestead. However, as
she fled, the job seeker was said to have dropped her bags, which Muzi took and
fled with.
Also, in a different incident, Muzi was said to have posed as a businessman in
need of someone to work in his shop. It was gathered that some women fell for
his tricks. Some of the women were said to have been informed that Muzi would
then relay to them that he was sent by his employer to direct them to the
residence where they would meet him before resuming their duties.
Destination
While walking to their unknown destination, it was established that Muzi would
then lead them towards a place with dense vegetation. Thereafter, he would
instill fear in the women with a variety of stories. Seeing that they were
gullible at that instance, he was said to have advised the women to follow his
instruction in order for them to be saved from what was about to befall them.
One woman who was said to have also fallen for Muzi’s trickery was allegedly
raped by him in several instances as she had arrived at Ngculwini with no money
to return home. It was said the woman had resided with him at his place of abode
until he decided to tell her to pack her things and leave. On the day he chucked
her out, it was gathered that another woman arrived, who was also under the
assumption that she was being employed.
Assistance
According to sources, while residing with some of the women, Muzi was said to
have ordered them to request financial assistance from their next of kin, which
upon receipt, he would use for his personal gain. According to impeccable
sources, police were investigating the matter as there were suspicions that
there were more women who had fallen for Muzi’s trickery; however, for now, it
was said only three had reported their ordeal to the police. Chief Police
Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Phindile Vilakati
confirmed the matter.
She said there were suspicions that there could be more people who were abused
by the suspect and pleaded with those who were willing to come forward to
contact Thandiwe Dlamini on 7606 8891 or Manzini RCBO Thabo Hlophe on 7605 3042
or  Mafutseni Desk Officer Assistant Inspector Akhona Dludlu on 7626 0105.