Culture

SA court sentences 21-year-old man to life imprisonment for raping, murdering six Zimbabwean sex workers

Published

2 months ago

September 19, 2024

A South Gauteng High Court sitting in Palm Ridge, South Africa has sentenced a 21-year-old man, Sifiso Naseeb Mkhwanazi, to life imprisonment for the brutal murder of six Zimbabwean sex workers in Johannesburg.

Mkhwanazi was on Wednesday convicted of six counts of murder, six counts of rape, six counts of defeating or obstructing the administration of justice, as well as unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition, and was also given another 170 years for his crimes.

The trial judge, Cassim Moosa, who delivered the sentence, declared Mkhwanazi a “dangerous criminal who was arrogant and threatened the well-being of other people in society.’

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) which prosecuted the case for the state, had outlined that the plethora of charges against Mkhwanazi emanate from the discovery of six female bodies at the premises of a panel beating business owned by his father in Rosettenville, in October 2022.

“One of the caretakers had discovered a female’s deceased body at one of the unused offices at the premises and alerted the owner of the premises. The business owner, who is the father of the accused, summoned the South African Police Service (SAPS),” spokesperson for the NPA, Phindi Mjonondwane said.

“Upon investigation by SAPS members, five more bodies were discovered at various locations within the premises. Further investigations led to the arrest of Mkhwanazi.”

The NPA submitted that Mkhwanazi raped and killed the six sex workers he had picked up in the Johannesburg CBD, between April and October 2022.

During trial, Mkhwanazi admitted to killing the women, using an arm choke, and to defeating or obstructing the administration of justice by concealing their bodies at different locations at the premises of the panel beating business.

Mkhwanazi’s defence counsel, Vuyo Maqetuka, argued that he killed the sex workers after they raised the prices they had initially agreed upon, and out of fear that he would be arrested.

“The accused was triggered in all six times that he might be arrested for rape again. When they wanted more money, that’s when he was angered,” Maqetuka told the court.

However, Judge Moosa differed, saying:

“Six times, why didn’t he stay away from the sex workers?”

In delivering judgment, Judge Moosa emphasised that, despite the accused’s age at the time of the murders, he remained a dangerous criminal.

“I have carefully considered the relative age of the accused when he committed his crimes and the argument that he should be regarded as relatively youthful when considering a suitable sentence to be imposed upon him.

“Having done so and accepting that he was 19 years old at the time of the commission of the crimes, I am compelled to conclude that the supposed relative youthfulness simply pales into the background having due regard into the horrendous nature of his actions.”

The judge added that the crimes Mkhwanazi was convicted of, along with the condition of the victims’ bodies, clearly demonstrated a high level of violence against them.

“There was an extremely great degree of premeditation involved on the part of the accused over a period of time in the commission of the crimes”.

Moosa expressed the view that Mkhwanazi showed no remorse for his actions.

“The accused acknowledged that he committed the crimes. However, despite this, he does not seem to have insight into his criminality or the impact the crimes had on the victims.

“The accused has proved that he has a very poor prognosis for rehabilitation and will most likely remain a threat to society as long as he is alive. Government has identified violence against women as a national scourge.”

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Culture

DRC authorities arrest six over break-in at Lumumba’s Mausoleum

Published

4 hours ago

November 21, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Police in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) say six people have been arrested over a break-in and vandalism at the mausoleum of the country’s assassinated independence leader, Patrice Lumumba, in Kinshasa, the country’s capital.

The police had announced the six arrests late Wednesday and said they were still looking for two more suspects.

Interior Minister, Jacquemin Shabani, said in a statement that during the break-in which occurred on Monday, a case containing a single gold-capped tooth, the only part of the former leader that remained after his assassination, was broken by the vandals.

“We assure that the relic is secure and it is protected,” the minister said, without offering more information.

The return of Lumumba’s tooth from former colonizer Belgium in 2022 had been celebrated around Congo, with the tooth taken around the vast country so people could pay their respects.

Lumumba is widely hailed as the nationalist activist who helped end colonial rule in the DRC and went on to become the country’s first prime minister and was seen as one of Africa’s most promising new leaders, but he was assassinated within a year in 1961.

His body was dismembered and dissolved with acid in an apparent effort to keep any grave from becoming a pilgrimage site.

For many in Congo, Lumumba is a symbol of the positive developments the country could have achieved after its independence but instead, it became mired in decades of dictatorship that drained its vast mineral riches.

A military coup toppled Lumumba, who was arrested, jailed and later killed. His assassination, blamed on separatists, cleared the way for the rise of Mobutu Sese Seko, who ruled the country he later renamed Zaire for decades with support from Western powers until his death in 1997.

His one remaining tooth was kept by the Belgian police commissioner who oversaw the destruction of his body.

The tooth was returned to Congo after the visit of Belgium’s King Philippe, who expressed regrets for his nation’s abuses in Congo when it was a Belgian colony.

Culture

Miss SA opens up on why she withdrew from Miss Universe pageant

Published

1 day ago

November 20, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Reigning Miss South Africa 2024, Mia le Roux, has opened up on the reasons behind her withdrawal from the Miss Universe pageant which was held in Mexico, where Nigeria’s Chidinma Adetshina was the first runner-up.

While narrating her experience in a video she shared on social media on Wednesday, le Roux said her body was taking so much physical strain.

“Hello everyone, I’m back in South Africa and wanted to reach out to you all. Thank you so much for all of your kind wishes, your support and prayers,” she said in the video.

“I wanted to be transparent with you and share my story. A lot of you would’ve seen the video that I made about vertigo, while I was in Mexico at Miss Universe.

“Vertigo is a condition where it feels like you are dizzy and there’s a sense of the world spinning around you. It’s very intense and can cause major issues with your imbalance.

“Mentally I was very strong, I was ready, but physically, my body was taking strain. I had to even seek medical help in Mexico City. And even after the medical help, my condition still wasn’t improving.”

She added that during the preliminary rounds of Miss Universe, she had continued to push herself but her vertigo intensified and it became unmanageable.

She stated that while she was waiting backstage, she fell repeatedly and couldn’t stand up without support and was not in a position to safely walk on stage.

“It was not easy. As I was not doing it just for myself but for all of you in South Africa,” she said.

“I will continue to serve as your Miss South Africa, to support and uplift those who come after me. With my unbreakable spirit and an exciting year ahead, I will keep fighting for myself and for everyone with dreams and passions. I am so proud to still be your Miss South Africa,” she added.