Sifiso Mkhwanazi at the Gauteng High Court in Palm Ridge on February 5, 2024 (OJ Koloti/Gallo Images)
- Sifiso Mkhwanazi, 21, was found guilty of murdering six sex workers in Johannesburg.
- He was calm and emotionless in court as Judge Kassim Moussa handed down his scathing verdict.
- Mkhwanazi will undergo psychiatric evaluation before sentencing.
The judge who convicted Sifiso Mkhwanazi of murdering six sex workers in Johannesburg has given a scathing account of the 21-year-old's actions.
“I reject the defendant's account as to the extent of falsehood and find that he acted premeditated and premeditated, forming an intention to kill the deceased,” Judge Kassim Moussa said.
He delivered his sentence at the Gauteng High Court in Palm Ridge on Tuesday in front of a packed auditorium, including the victims' families.
Mr Mkhwanzi remained calm and emotionless during the sentencing, keeping his head bowed.
The judge said that after analyzing all the evidence, it was determined that Mr Mkhwanazi had “unlawfully engaged in sexual activity with all of the deceased”.
“I further find that the defendant unlawfully and intentionally defeated and obstructed the course of justice by concealing the body of the deceased; Ta.
Mkhwanazi murdered six sex workers, all from Zimbabwe. He said that after they had sex, he was asked for more money.
Mr Musa said that after weighing the merits and demerits of the matter, he rejected Mr Mkhwanazi's explanation as false beyond reasonable doubt.
“I accept the evidence of the State's witnesses. Further, having considered the totality of the evidence, I find that the prosecution has abdicated the honor of proving beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant committed the crime as accused. I did.”
He added that Mkhwanazi had failed to prove his innocence.
“His version is therefore rejected as beyond the bounds of falsehood,” Musa said.
pre-sentence psychiatric evaluation
Prosecutor Leswikane Mashabela said it was the state's intention to take Mr Mkhwanazi to Sterkfontein Psychiatric Hospital for a risk assessment.
“The reason is that there was a pattern of violence and a pattern (perpetrated against the victims). He poses a risk. He didn't just kill them. He targeted specific people. “He is a danger to sex workers. He is a dangerous man. He is a dangerous criminal.”
Defense activist Vuyo Matekuka did not object to his client being referred for psychiatric observation.
Musa ordered Mkhwanazi to undergo a psychiatric evaluation before sentencing. It is not expected to affect his conviction, but it could affect his sentencing.
The judge said, “Mental observation is for the court to decide on an appropriate sentence.''
Musa found Mkhwanazi guilty of six counts of murder, six counts of rape, six counts of defeating the ends of justice and illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.
The court acquitted Mkhwanazi of aggravated robbery and found him guilty of stealing a mobile phone belonging to one of the six victims.
The 21-year-old admitted killing six sex workers at his father's panel beating workshop in Johannesburg between April and October 2022. He claimed that he killed the deceased after demanding more money for sex.
More to come.
