Pretoria – The defence team representing the man arrested after the bodies of six women were found at his panel beating workplace, told the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court that the accused’s father is allegedly putting pressure on him to confess and should therefore be barred from visiting him in prison.
Sifiso Mkhwanazi, 20, made his third appearance in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s court on Tuesday.
He is currently facing one murder charge as he can only be linked to one woman.
The DNA of the five other bodies is still outstanding.
Magistrate Betty Khumalo said Mkhwanazi has the right to decide who he wants to see during visits.
His family has to understand that confessions don’t have to be coerced, but have to be done freely and voluntarily without any undue influence.
Khumalo added that this kind of confession will be problematic as it might interfere with the trial itself and lead to a trial within a trial.
She advised Mkhwanazi’s legal representative to liaise with the Correctional Services Department to handle the matter.
NPA spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane said they were unaware of the allegations that an investigating officer and Mkhwanazi’s father had visited the accused and forced him to confess.
Mjonondwane added that the NPA will follow up on the information.
“The requirements of a confession to be admissible in court we are clear as the NPA, we know the law, we know that a confession has to be done voluntarily; and it must be done in front of a peace officer, but we prefer it to be done before a magistrate so that it can hold water in court,” she said.
The State prosecutor told the court that an ID parade has already been held and five out of six sex workers positively identified Mkhwanazi as the man who took the women who turned up dead.
Speaking to eNCA, a spokesperson for the Sisonke sex workers movement said they believe that two of the dead women were pregnant.
“From the pictures I have seen from the mortuary, I could tell that they might be pregnant. But others are saying that their bellies were swollen because of the sun, but we will wait for an official police report to be released.”
The matter was postponed to October 31 for a bail application.
IOL