An investigation officer in the trial of a 21-year-old alleged Sunday serial killer has revealed that they have managed to confirm three DNAs of murdered sex workers. Tests were not conducted on the other bodies due to their state of decomposition.
Investigating officer Sergeant Bongani Mbonambi said this while testifying in the Johannesburg High Court, sitting in the Palm Ridge magistrate’s court on Wednesday.
Admitted to all six murders
Sifiso Mkhwanazi, who came to court with ankle cuffs ankles, has admitted to killing all six of the sex workers. Mkhwanazi has, however, denied that the murders were premeditated. He has pleaded not guilty to seven counts of rape, six of murder, six of defeating the ends of justice, among others.
Mbonambi said the DNA samples were taken from the identified bodies of Chihota Nyarai, Patricia Magaiza and Joyce Moyo. All were compared with those of family members, and all came back positive. The police found condoms, underwear, and blood when they went into a room upstairs.
Other three bodies too decomposed
The other unidentified bodies were decomposed beyond recognition, hence they were still unidentified.
Magaiza matched 99.8% of her mother’s DNA. Nyarai was 99.8% match with her daughter’s. A phone that was found in the accused’s bag was linked to a phone box that Nyarai’s daughter had.
Her passport had her fingerprints, which matched the body of the deceased. Moyo’s child [gender not mentioned] was also positively linked to her DNA at 99.97%.
Bodies kept for up to six months
Sunday World understands that investigations revealed that the bodies were kept at the panel-beaters for about three to six months.
Mbonambi said: “The premises have dustbins, and in this time they went missing one by one (sic). The bodies were later discovered in the dustbins on the premises on October 9.”
Mbonambi dismissed the accused’s admission, stating that he did not defeat the ends of justice.
“We do not accept that the accused said he did not defeat the ends of justice. He needed to transport the bodies to the place the dustbins went missing one by one to conceal the bodies. The bodies were found inside the bins,” he said.
Fishing for victims
Mbonambi described Mkhwanazi’s alleged actions as going to the fish pond, as he kept on going to pick up sex workers.
He disputed Mkhwanazi’s version that the murders were not premeditated.
Mbonambi said all bodies had commonalities when they were discovered.
“The common thing is that [they] are tied. I am showing you this picture because the accused made an admission denying premeditated murder,” he said.
He said that all of the deceased were found tied with rope either to the front or back, and on the mouth and legs as well.
Sunday World understands that the investigation concluded that these women were tied by the accused. The purpose was for them to be raped repeatedly and to keep them from escaping and screaming for help.
He questioned: “If you have already choked them to death, why would you tie the lifeless up?”
Money was not found on the corps of the sex workers
Mbonambi told the court that they did not find money on the deceased persons.
“Your honour is might have been that Mkhwanazi robbed them [of their money]after he had killed them.”
DNA on condoms linked accused to the 3 deceased
Mbonambi revealed to the court that a number of condoms were found in a room upstairs. DNA taken from the condoms linked the accused to three of the deceased.
He told the court that the caretaker arrived at the building one day and found the floor wet. He later went to thank the cleaner for cleaning the room and stairs. But the cleaner told the 21-year-old caretaker that she did not clean the said area; the accused did.
When the cleaner initially got the job at the panel beaters, she used to clean the room. However, when she learned that the room was not being used by them, she stopped cleaning it.
Vacant room was used as slaughterhouse
Mbonambi confirmed that the room upstairs was a vacant room that was not being used. He labelled it a slaughterhouse before the bodies were dragged down the stairs.
He also revealed that the key witness in the case could not be traced.
Judge Cassim Moosa postponed the trial to Monday as the defence lawyer, Vuyo Maqetuka cited ill health.
Moosa told the remaining sex workers who were set to testify that they were no longer needed as witnesses in the trial.
However, they are allowed to sit in the gallery to watch the rest of the trial.
