LISTEN | Sifiso Mkhwanazi guilty of murdering and raping six Joburg sex workers

The Johannesburg high court sitting in Palm Ridge found Sifiso Mkhwanazi, 21, guilty of killing and raping six Johannesburg sex workers. 

Judge Cassim Moosa found Mkhwanazi guilty of six counts of murder, six counts of rape, six counts of defeating the administration of justice, one for possession of ammunition and one for unlawful possession of a firearm. He was acquitted on a charge of robbery with aggravating circumstances but convicted 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. 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,” said Moosa. 

He said except for the charge of robbery, the accused failed to give an explanation of innocence which is 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 had acted with premeditation and planning and had formed an intention to kill the deceased,” said Moosa.  

“Further, having due regard, 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 said

He also unlawfully and intentionally attempted to defeat and obstruct the course of justice by concealing the bodies of the deceased.

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 strangled the women using an arm choke. He denied raping the women, alleging it was consensual sex which he had paid for. 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 was identified through a cellphone discovered inside a school bag used by Mkhwanazi.

TimesLIVE