Africa-Press – South-Africa. A man accused of murder after the bodies of six Johannesburg sex workers were found at his father’s workshop, has asked the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court to prevent his father from visiting him.
The reason for his request, the court heard, was because his father had tried to get him to confess.
Sifiso Mkwanazi, 20, made the allegation via his lawyer, Khanyiswa Mkhabe, in a packed courtroom on Tuesday.
Mkhabe said: “I have a complaint to raise with the court. My client was booked at the Johannesburg Central police station, where an identity parade was held. He informed me during our consultation that his father came to him, accompanied by one of the police investigators. His father tried to convince him to make a confession. He refused to make that confession. We plead with the court to prevent the father from visiting him. He (the father) must [refrain] from visiting my client until further notice.”
Prosecutor Tshepo Mhange ka Mzizi said Mkwanazi had a right to visits from family members.
“I plead the court to establish from the accused whether he wants his father to continue to visit him or not. I don’t want the accused to complain later that he had been denied a right to visitation.
“He was held at the Johannesburg Central police station for an identity parade. The identity parade was later held. It was successful,” Ka Mzizi said.
He added that the State was waiting for DNA results to link Mkwanazi to five other murder cases and said the DNA test results would also help them to identify the six bodies.
Ka Mzizi said:
“If Mkwanazi is unhappy with his visitation right, he can complain to the correctional officials. He can exercise his right not to have visitors. No one can compel an accused person to confess.
“We must avoid a situation where a confession is obtained illegally. The person must freely offer himself for a confession. It will be useless and futile for an accused to be forced to make a confession. The confession must be made freely and voluntarily without undue influence. The State has to provide relevant evidence to prove it’s the case beyond a reasonable doubt,” Magistrate Betty Khumalo said.
He added that if a confession was obtained illegally, it would be problematic for the State’s case.
During the trial, Khumalo added, Mkwanazi might inform the court that he was forced to confess, which would lead to a trial-within-a-trial.
Mkwanazi was arrested in June 2021 for rape but was released in February after the complainant, reportedly a sex worker, withdrew the case.
Murders
He was arrested on 9 October after six semi-naked and decomposed female bodies were found in separate parts of the defunct Frams building in Sprinz Avenue in Johannesburg, including some in vehicles.
The building was initially used for the manufacture safety boots. His father had rented part of it for a workshop for panelbeating, where the bodies were found.
Two of the women were pregnant. Five of the bodies were badly decomposed.
Mkwanazi is accused of premeditated murder.
He is expected back in court on 31 October.
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