E Cape, where serial killers thrive
In recent years, Daily Dispatch has reported on a series of murders where a serial killer was suspected to be involved.
The most horrific case was the murders of women in Toleni village near Butterworth. Monster of Toleni
Local villager Bulelani Mabhayi became the most prolific serial killer of our time in the Eastern Cape with 20 murders in just one village. He is paying for his atrocities in jail.
Mabhayi made headlines when 27 villagers were raped and killed between 2007 and 2012 at the R1 village.
Every month, two or more people would be hacked to death. The worst years for the villagers were 2009 and 2010 when Mabhayi went on a killing spree while police struggled to nail him.
In 2010, Mabhayi and other men (including all boys over 16) were tested and their fingerprints taken by police investigators. Mabhayi’s fingerprints could not be taken because he had no identification with him.
His crime spree left 20 women dead — all murdered as they lay sleeping in the depth of night. No-one heard their screams.
Mabhayi broke into houses where there were no men. He would rape and then kill his victims using an axe or panga.
His youngest victim was 14-months old and his eldest victim 79.
Mabhayi was eventually caught when he left a shoe at the scene of a crime.
He was sentenced in 2013 to life in jail.
Kei Ripper
Mabhayi’s crimes came just after Gcobani Gwayi, better known as the “Kei Ripper”, waged terror on the rural community. His first victim was Vika Nqwiliso of Mcucuzo village. During Gwayi’s rampage, many people had organs removed from their bodies.
The grisly discovery of Nqwiliso ’ s butchered body sent a wave of shock through the small village of Mcucuzo.
Seven months later Gwayi was arrested in Cape Town. He told the court that he was paid to harvest body parts. He was promised R5,000 for the gory “work”.
Later he was also charged for the murder of another elderly woman, who was killed in Mbhangcolo village in Willowvale. She was found with body parts missing.
There were other incidents of the Kei Ripper-style attacks that were reported in the areas of Butterworth, Centane and Dutywa where people were found dumped with missing facial parts.
Homeless murders
In 2015, a suspected serial killer went on the prowl on the streets of East London’s CBD killing homeless people
The modus operandi was similar: the attacks were all at night, in the middle of the town and the victims had little of value on them.
Nothing was reported as stolen from the victims.
The bodies were found at Albert Street, Currie Street, Drury Lane, Station Street, Buxton
Street and Caxton Street. No arrest was ever made by police.
Mystery women murders
Between 2010 and 2011, a police task force was set up to investigate the brutal killing of women in the West Bank area in East London.
This was after the severed head of a woman was found in the area in April 2010. The first body was found on April 2 and the second on April 17, 2010.
Police at the time reported that the previous year, in 2009, at least eight bodies of women had been found in the area. All the grim discoveries were made in one area near Nuffield Road — between MBSA and the East London harbour. Police said a similar modus operandi was used in killing at least four of the victims.
Van Schoor
Then there was Sybrand Louis van Schoor, known as South Africa’s worst serial murderer.
He was convicted of shooting 39 burglars over a period of three years. Most of his victims were black and mixedrace.
Van Schoor committed these crimes while working as a security guard. He responded to silent alarms triggered on business premises.
He was finally brought to trial by a family of some of the victims and charged with seven murders and two attempted murders. He was sentenced to 20 years in jail but released after serving 12 years in 2004.