Mkhwanazi guilty of raping and murdering six Joburg sex workers
The Johannesburg high court sitting in Palm Ridge has found Sifiso Mkhwanazi, 21, guilty of raping and killing six Johannesburg sex workers.
Judge Cassim Moosa found Mkhwanazi guilty of six counts of murder, six of rape, six of defeating the administration of justice, one of possession of ammunition and one of unlawful possession of a firearm.
He was acquitted on a charge of robbery with aggravating circumstances, but found guilty of the alternative charge of theft.
The murders took place in Selby, central Johannesburg, between April and October 2022.
Moosa said he had looked at the merits and demerits of the case coupled with the totality of the evidence before him and accordingly rejected the version of the accused as being false beyond reasonable doubt.
“I do accept the evidence of the state witnesses,” he said.
“I further find that under the consideration of the totality of the evidence, the prosecution has discharged the onus to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the accused has committed the crimes as charged.”
Moosa said except for the charge of robbery the accused had failed to give an explanation of innocence which was reasonably possibly true and rejected his version as beyond false.
“In the circumstances, I rejected the version of the accused as set out in section 220, admissions, as beyond false and find the accused acted with premeditation and planning and formed an intention to kill the deceased,” Moosa said.
“Further, having due regard to the totality of the evidence before this court and the necessary inferences that may be drawn there, I find the accused did unlawfully have sexual intercourse with all the deceased.”
He also unlawfully and intentionally attempted to defeat and obstruct the course of justice by concealing the bodies of the victims.
Mkhwanazi was arrested in October 2022.
He pleaded not guilty to charges of rape and murder, but made an admission in terms of the Criminal Procedure Act in which he said he had strangled the women using an arm choke.
He denied raping the women, alleging it was consensual sex for which he had paid.
He alleged the women had asked for more money, enraging him.
Police have identified only three of the six bodies due to decomposition.
The women were Joyce Moyo, Patricia Magaiza and Chihota Nyarai.
The court heard Nyarai had been identified through a cellphone discovered inside a schoolbag used by Mkhwanazi.