SERIAL KILLER SENTENCED TO LIFE AND DECLARED A DANGEROUS CRIMINAL
The High Court of South Africa, Gauteng Division, Johannesburg sentenced Sifiso Mkhwanazi to six life terms plus 170 years imprisonment for six counts of rape, six of murder, six of defeating the ends of justice, possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition as well as theft. The court further declared him to be a dangerous criminal citing that the community should be protected from him. Furthermore, the accused was ordered to undergo imprisonment for an indefinite period, with the court stating that he should return to court after serving 30 years of the imposed sentence for the court to hold an inquiry to determine whether he is still a danger to society or not.
The accused killed six sex workers at his father’s workshop between April to October 2022 and thereafter concealed their bodies in different locations within the yard of the workshop. He told the court that the offences were committed in revenge of a false rape accusation which resulted in his incarceration for a period of 10 months.
He pleaded not guilty to all the charges and tendered admissions in terms of s220 of the CPA. He admitted to killing the females using an arm choke and, to defeating or obstructing the administration of justice by concealing their bodies at different locations at the workshop premises. He further admitted to the charges of robbery with aggravating circumstances in that he robbed one of the deceased of her cell phone and that he unlawfully took his father’s firearm and ammunition. Mkhwanazi however,denied raping the females and alleged that it was consensual sex with the agreement of money for sex.He denied planning the murders of these women and said said the crimes were impulsively committed as the women reneged on their agreement on the payment for sex and demanded more money.
The postmortems recorded the cause of deaths in five of the bodies as consistent with strangulation and/or suffocation, whilst the sixth body’s postmortem determined the cause of death to be that of a gunshot wound to the head.
In assisting the court to come to a just conclusion, Senior State Advocate Leswikane Mathabela provided the court with psychiatric and victim impact reports compiled by Probation Officers Antonette Mkhari and Thembelihle Gule, for the court to determine if the accused posed as a danger to society and whether he should be declared a dangerous criminal. Furthermore, for the court to understand the devastating effects that these offences have had on the families of the deceased.
In passing sentence,the court took into account the devastating and degrading effects of gender based violence. The court remarked that women in this country have a legitimate claim of walking freely on our streets without fear of being attacked and victimised.
The Director of Public Prosecutions in Johannesburg,Adv. Andrew Chauke remarked that gender based violence cases place the honour and dignity of South Africa under scrutiny and it is up to our criminal justice system to tighten the grip on perpetrators of these degrading offences, to not only show it’s abhorrence to them, but to show it’s commitment in protecting the dignity of all vulnerable groups. Adv. Chauke extended the NPA’s gratitude to Captain Vincent Saunders and Sergeant Prince Mbonambi as well as Adv. Mashabela for ensuring that justice prevailed.
