The 21-year-old Sunday serial killer Sifiso Mkhwanazi will know his fate next week.
Mkhwanazi appeared before the Johannesburg High Court sitting in the Palm Ridge magistrate’s court, where the pre-sentencing closing arguments in his trial were heard.
Judge Cassim Moosa postponed the hearing to May 17 because Mkhwanazi was not mentally evaluated as instructed by the court during his previous appearance.
During the proceedings on Wednesday, Mkhwanazi, who is due for a 30-day mental assessment, repeatedly looked up and down, fiddled with his hands, and bit his lips.
He was found guilty in March of six counts of murder, six counts of rape, six counts of defeating the ends of justice, and illegal possession of a firearm.
The crimes took place between April and October 2022.
Premeditated murder
The court heard that he killed the sex workers instinctively because he was afraid of going to jail. This comes after he spent 10 months in jail for rape.
The prosecutor, Leswikane Mashabela, said that the state will stand by its submission that the murders were premeditated.
Mashabela revealed that the bodies of the sex workers were found tied up, legs spread wide, mouths tied, and bodies left undressed.
This shows that the deceased were stopped from screaming or running away.
Investigations revealed that the bodies were kept at the panel-beating workshop for about three to six months.
Quiet and respectful boy
Mkhwanazi admitted to killing the sex workers, however, he denied that the murders were premeditated.
He has pleaded not guilty to seven counts of rape and six for defeating the ends of justice, among others.
His lawyer, Vuyo Maqetuka, described Mkhwanazi as a quiet and respectful boy.
“The anger that came over my client when he disagreed with a sex worker was too much for his personality,” said Maqetuka.
