Triple-murder accused expected to plead guilty
● Two charged with brutal attacks on elderly people
One of the two men accused of the brutal murders of three elderly people in the space of two days is expected to plead guilty to eight charges against him.
Yesterday, Robin O’Brien, defence attorney for Vuyani Sifunda, 21, confirmed that his client had indicated he would plead guilty to three counts of murder, one of attempted murder, two charges of housebreaking with the intent to rob and one count of robbery with aggravating circumstances.
Sifunda, along with Mbuyiseli Pikoli, 37, are accused of bludgeoning to death Tyrone Winston Jantjies, 62, as well as Kenneth “Ken” John Alexander, 76, and his partner Elaine Allwright, 78, between September 23 and 25 2017, in separate attacks.
Speaking to the media after a short appearance in the Port Elizabeth High Court, O’Brien said Sifunda had changed his mind numerous times about his plea.
“He has changed his mind three times already,” O’Brien said.
While Sifunda is expected to enter a guilty plea, it is unclear what Pikoli will decide to do.
It is alleged that the pair broke into a caravan parked on the premises of the Forest Hill caretaker’s quarters on September 23 2017, and attacked Jantjies and Thembalethu Ndiyane, 23, with a hammer.
At the time it was reported that during the attack Ndiyane had pretended to be unconscious or dead while Sifunda and Pikoli allegedly beat Jantjies with a hammer.
Jantjies later died from his injuries on the way to hospital.
Two days later, Alexander and Allwright were attacked in their Marine Drive, Schoenmakerskop, home.
It is believed Alexander went outside the house to investigate a suspicious noise and was allegedly attacked by Sifunda and Pikoli.
He was then dragged into the house and left in the kitchen.
At the time police suspected Alexander had been shot because of the severe injuries he sustained to his face.
A postmortem report later revealed that he had been bludgeoned with a blunt object, believed to be a hammer.
Allwright was attacked in her bedroom and although badly injured, managed to climb through her window and make her way to a neighbour for help.
She died on October 5 2017 from her injuries, which included severe skull and hand fractures as well as bleeding on the brain.
Both suspects were arrested later in October that year.
During their first court appearance in the Port Elizabeth Magistrate’s Court in November 2017 it emerged that Pikoli had been released on parole in January that year after serving just short of 14 years of a 20year sentence after being convicted of burglary, robbery, theft and escaping from custody, among others.
At the time, Pikoli had seven pending cases against him, including two of murder.
Both men were arrested for a burglary in Paterson days after the Alexander and Allwright murders and appeared in the Paterson Magistrate’s Court where Sifunda was arrested, while appearing, by Port Elizabeth detectives.
Yesterday, state prosecutor Liesel Landman asked judge Irma Schoeman to postpone the matter to tomorrow.