Alleged serial rapist Mongezi Samuel Jinxela (38) pleaded not guilty to 74 of the 261 charges against him in the Johannesburg High Court on Tuesday.
Neatly dressed in a chequered shirt and a blue tie, Jinxela was expected to plead to the rest of the charges against him after the tea break.
He allegedly raped 70 women and committed other crimes including robbery, indecent assault, assault and kidnapping between 1994 and 2004.
Jinxela apparently approached the women and told them his boss had a vacancy for a woman.
Once he won the trust of his unsuspecting victims he took them to secluded areas like mine dumps and deserted fields and allegedly raped them.
He is also accused of robbing them of belongings such as cellphones, jewellery and money.
Jinxela faces an additional charge of escaping from lawful custody. he allegedly made a daring escape from the Roodepoort police holding cells following his arrest in 2004.
Once state prosecutor Louisa Loots has completed reading all the charges to Jinxela she will call one of the many witnesses to testify. – Sapa