Three women have testified against the 21-year-old Sifiso Mkhwanazi, who faces six counts of murder and rape involving six women believed to be sex workers killed between April and October 2022.
On Monday, the court heard from a women called “Miss A” how Joyce Moyo, who had been missing for over a week, was found murdered resulting in fear among the women who ply their trade around the Joburg CBD.
The 21-year-old is accused of smothering five women to death and shooting a sixth with his father’s gun.
The witness told how she received a call from her friend’s sister, Grace Moyo, who asked her to tell the police about the night her sister was picked up in a white van located on the same property.
On Tuesday, the witness added during her cross examination that she had last seen Moyo on October 2, 2022.
“I last saw Moyo on Sunday 2 October 2022. The van she left had a canopy without windows. When I went to the factory, I saw a car that looked like it,” she said.
The latest revelations come after the Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg, sitting at the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court, on Friday, heard how Mkhwanazi murdered Moyo with a gun.
Last week, the court during its trail-within-a-trial proceedings found Mkhwanazi’s confession made to his father, Mark Khumalo, on the killing of six Zimbabwean sex workers, was admissible as evidence in his main trial.
Mkhwanazi faces multiple charges of rape, murder and robbery with aggravating circumstances and possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition.
Miss A said that the womens’ services ranged from R100 upwards depending on whether it is a short-term or long-term service.
“I offer short and long-term services. Our price is R100 when a client sleeps on top of me.... there are times when a client wants to leave with us and I always ask for payment first before we reach the destination. Some clients prefer to negotiate and it would depend on the negotiation. But first, I would get my money,” she said.
The witness said that Moyo was wearing a short skirt and a denim jacket the last day she was spotted alive.
When asked about the frequency of arguments with clients, the witness said that most of the time, if conflict arised it was as a result of clients requesting extra services they are not prepared to pay for, adding that she never threatens her clients.
“I only increase the price of my services when a client asks for more services other than what we agreed on. I have never threatened a client with rape charges if he fails to pay the agreed upon the amount,” she said.
The court was adjourned before lunch after the State prosecutor took ill. The case is set to resume this morning with more witnesses set to take the stand.
Last week, the court heard from Khumalo as to how Mkhwanazi, who claims to have been falsely accused on rape charges and spent nearly 10 months awaiting trial, started targeting sex workers as a way to avenge himself against the woman who had accused him of rape.
“I never forced my son to confess. He is the one who told me that he had done what he did because he wanted revenge. He claimed he had taken revenge on all the victims after being falsely implicated by a woman and ended up in prison awaiting trial between nine to 10 months,” said Khumalo.
The Star