JOHANNESBURG, South Africa – A 21-year-old South African ex-convict is in court to face charges of killing and raping six Zimbabwean women in the neighbouring country.
Sifiso Mkwananzi is expected back in court this Monday facing six counts of murder, seven of rape, six of defeating or obstructing the administration of justice, robbery with aggravating circumstances and unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition.
“The charges emanate from the discovery of six female bodies at the premises of a panel-beating business in Rosettenville, in October 2022,” National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane said.
The state alleges Mkhwanazi raped and killed the sex workers who he picked up from the Johannesburg CBD, between April and October 2022.
He was arrested in 2022 charged with the heinous crime and robbery in aggravating circumstances and possession of a firearm.
The bodies of his victims were found at a panel-beating workshop in Johannesburg.
Three of the murdered women were identified as Joyce Moyo, Nyarai Chihota and Patricia Magaisa.
Mkhwanazi admitted to killing the females, using an arm choke, and to defeating or obstructing the administration of justice by concealing their bodies at different locations at the premises of the panel-beating business.
He denies the act was intentional.
“I could not fathom going to jail for an offence I did not commit,” he said.
“Killing them was just an instinctive reaction which suddenly arose during our arguments. I, therefore, deny that the murders were premeditated.”
Investigating officer Vincent Saunders said he believes the murders were revenge murders after he was jailed for 10 months in 2021, for raping a commercial sex worker.
He added that all the six women “were killed in the same manner and all the six were Zimbabweans”.
