Man charged with one count of murder despite six sex workers' bodies being found

The man who was arrested after six bodies of women were found at a building in the Johannesburg inner city will only face one count of murder and not six.

This was revealed by the NPA outside the Johannesburg magistrate’s court on Tuesday, minutes after the 21-year-old’s first appearance.

NPA spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane said the investigations only linked the man to just one murder. “The accused is charged with one count of murder although six bodies were discovered. At this stage as the state we only have evidence that links him to only one murder. Investigations are on-going in terms of the circumstances surrounding the other five female bodies that were found at the same premises.

“At this stage, the evidence that we have in the docket only links the accused to one murder hence he is facing one count of murder. It is a schedule 6 offence ... as the state we are alleging that the murder was premeditated.

“Prerogative to place the charges lies with the NPA and as the NPA we follow the evidence. With what is currently contained in the docket, the only charge that we can prefer is that of one count of murder…However it is our duty to investigate the circumstances surrounding the five bodies that were found in the same building,”  Mjonondwane said.

In a statement released on Monday, police said the man, whose age has since been confirmed to be 20, would face six counts of murders following the discovery of six bodies at a panel beating workshop where he worked.

Dressed in a black T-shirt and navy tracksuit, the man walked into the court with his face covered with a cloth.

Prosecutor Nazley January said the man, whose name cannot be released, is facing a Schedule 6 offence. “The accused is facing a schedule 6 offence, it is a premeditated murder. The accused is linked via eye witnesses as well as video footage at this stage,” January said.

On Sunday, six bodies believed to be belonging to sex workers were discovered in a building downtown Johannesburg. One body was in a room inside the building, another in an industrial skip bin while two others were found in separate wheelie bins. The last two bodies were found in two separate vans parked inside the building. 

The young man was arrested on Sunday.

Sex workers said he has been fetching their colleagues every Sunday for the past six weeks and each time, none of them returned.

He allegedly used different vehicles to collect sex workers from the streets and promised a higher pay if they go with him to a place he had booked.

According to sex workers, the first woman to disappear was reported missing at the Jeppe police station but police apparently did very little to find her.

Magistrate Betty Khumalo ordered that the 17 media houses which were present should not take pictures of the young man as he was due to go through an identity parade.

Khumalo then postponed the matter to allow for the verification of  the accused address, identity parade and his criminal record.

dlaminip@sowetan.co.za