Cape Town – Alleged serial killer Brian Mudyiwayana – who faces six counts of murder and one of robbery – pleaded not guilty to all the charges but one at the Swellendam Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.
’’The accused pleaded not guilty to all the charges except the one of being in South Africa illegally. The matter was rolled over to tomorrow morning for continuation of the trial,’’ National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said.
Mudyiwayana’s asylum-seeker temporary permit expired 11 years ago.
A group of Good party members protested outside the court with posters bearing the names of Mudyiwayana’s alleged victims, calling for justice.
The 35-year-old Zimbabwean was arrested in February 2019 after being on the run for two years and is accused of killing six people in Wolseley, Worcester, Swellendam and De Doorns.
According to the court documents, Mudyawayana first began his alleged killing spree in April 2016, lasting until the following year.
Police started their search for Mudyiwayana following the alleged 2017 rape murder of Lungelwa Dangatye, a 47-year-old teacher from Da Gamaskop, Mossel Bay. Dangatye’s family found her body inside her home with her hands tied and she had wounds to her head.
Subsequent to his arrest, Dangatye was linked to a string of unsolved murders in Mossel Bay, Worcester, Wolseley and Swellendam.
His first alleged victim was Moleboheng Mafata, who had left Wolseley with him on April 8, 2016, having allegedly promised her a job at a Cape Town zoo.
In November the same year, the body of Gladys Ntondini was found in bushes on Kluitjieskraal Farm, Swellendam. According to court papers, Ntondini had become involved in a relationship with Mudyiwayana in 2014 after he had separated from his wife.
The same month Ntondini is believed to have been murdered, he met Zimbabwean Grace Nyasha Hondo, whom he promised a job at a lodge where he was working. Hondo’s remains were found almost a year later in May 2017 near Bredasdorp.
In September 2017, Naume Gwengwe, also a Zimbabwean national living in Worcester, left with Mudyiwayana for Ashton after being promised a job. In 2020, her remains were found in bushes near the R60 in Swellendam.
Michael Pekaan from De Doorns was his youngest alleged victim. On November 21, 2017, his body was found in his house on the Vergenoegd farm with blunt-force trauma to the head.
IOL