Chilling details of killing
Uyinene Mrwetyana was raped twice, body hidden in post office safe, later set alight
MURDERED UCT student Uyinene Mrwetyana, 19, was raped twice, her body hid inside the safe of the post office, and then later dumped and doused with an accelerant before being set alight.
These chilling details are contained in the indictment and summary of facts that senior counsel for the State, Rodney de Kock, handed in to the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court.
Prior to handing in the documents, Johan Solomons, representing murder accused Luyanda Botha, allowed his client to peruse the documents and discuss them with him.
De Kock then informed Magistrate Goolam Bawa that the matter had been referred to the Western Cape High for pre-trial purposes next Friday.
Botha is facing two counts of rape, one of murder and defeating the ends of justice.
The accused was a postal worker at the Clareinch Post Office in Claremont and is accused of murdering the UCT student on August 24 this year and dumping her body in Lingelethu West, Khayelitsha. Her body was found two days later after the accused made a statement and led investigators to where her body was.
According to the State’s papers, the deceased purchased clothes online and the parcel was due for collection at the post office. She had made enquiries on August8 and was helped by the accused who allegedly told her that the parcel was not ready for collection and he would contact her when it arrived.
In the summary of the facts, the State said: “The parcel arrived on August 16 and on Saturday, August 24, Mrwetyana arrived at the post office after it was closed for business. The accused was alone inside the post office and let her in. The deceased was not seen alive again.
“The accused allegedly raped the deceased twice and then assaulted her to death. He then hid her body inside the safe of the post office.
On Sunday, August 25, the accused removed the body from the post office and transported it in his vehicle to Lingelethu West. He dumped her body, doused it with an accelerant and set it alight.”
The State contends that the accused is responsible for the rape and murder of the deceased and defeating the administration of justice by disposing of her body by setting it alight, and also had his car cleaned to destroy forensic evidence.