Johannesburg - Sifiso Mkhwanazi, the 20-year-old man linked to the murder of at least one of six women believed to be sex workers says he no longer wants to continue with his bail application.
Mkhwanazi appeared before the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court for his bail hearing, but his lawyer said her client did not want to apply for bail at the moment as the situation was still tense.
“Things might still change, but for now my client has instructed me that he will not be continuing with his bail application as the current situation is still risky. This will be reviewed as time goes by, but for now we have abandoned our bail application,” advocate Khanyiswa Mkhabe said after Mkhwanazi’s brief appearance on Monday.
Mkhwanazi was arrested early last month after the bodies believed to be of sex workers were discovered in his father’s workshop in Selby, Johannesburg.
Even though he has been linked to the deaths of five other women, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said the accused was still facing one count of murder. The matter was postponed to December 7 to allow the State more time to continue its investigations.
State advocate Tshepo Mahange KaMzizi then requested a postponement: “We are at the stage of identifying the other bodies. The undertaking from the SAPS is usually six weeks, but the court is privy to the practice of more than six weeks for the DNA results to come back (because) we are not talking about just one body.”
The accused was remanded at Johannesburg prison.
Speaking outside the court, NPA spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane said the accused had chosen to abandon his bail application.
“On the previous occasion the matter was set for a bail application but today we have been informed that the accused has decided to abandon his bail bid, therefore the matter has been postponed,” she said.
The NPA said they were still awaiting DNA results which could link the suspect to the disappearance and murder of five other women found at his father’s panel- beating business premises last month.
“We are still awaiting DNA results. We do not yet have information about anybody else being identified. We will communicate these developments to the family members should there be new developments. For now, the accused is still facing one count of murder. We will be guided by the investigations on further developments,” Mjonondwane said.
The Star