BULAWAYO – Police in Bulawayo have arrested a man believed to be the city’s most prolific serial rapist in history.
Prosper Bhule, 27, is believed to be behind sex attacks on at least 16 women, who were also robbed.
Bhule, who is considered to be of no fixed aboard but is originally from Tsholotsho, was arrested on Thursday by CID detectives, law enforcement sources told ZimLive.
He is known to have lived in Makhandeni.
Police last week issued a public warning after 15 women aged between 16 and 21 reported being raped by a man whose modus operandi followed a similar pattern.
Assistant Inspector Nomalanga Msebele, who made the appeal in a widely-shared WhatsApp message, said the suspect – now known to be Bhule – attacked the women at knife point after pretending to be a malayitsha (cross-border transporter).
Msebele narrated: “He is targeting houses where only females are known to live, or are present at the time. He arrives at your home and seems to already know people’s names. He then tells a story that he was sent to deliver some goods by your relative in South Africa but the car broke down, before inviting you to jump into a Honda Fit to go to Gwabalanda to collect the said goods.
“Along the way he turns into a monster. The women are raped at knifepoint and almost all of them were robbed of their phones.”
Msebele said most of the victims were from Gwabalanda, Luveve, Lobengula West, Cowdray Park and the three Pumula suburbs – North, South and Old.
Police believe Bhule stalked his victims before using neighbours to obtain their personal information including their names and those of their immediate family.
Bhule is expected to appear in court on Saturday.
