The multiple murder trial against Julius Mndawe, dubbed the “Masoyi Monster”, is expected to start on Wednesday after his lawyer asked for more time to prepare. 

Mndawe, who is accused of killing and burying five women in his yard at Masoyi village, outside Hazyview in Mpumalanga, made a brief appearance in the Mpumalanga high court on Tuesday and the case was postponed to Wednesday.

He is expected to plead on murder charges and concealment of deaths. 

“The trial has been postponed to tomorrow [Wednesday] because his lawyer has requested time to prepare for the trial,” said Mpumalanga NPA spokesperson Monica Nyuswa. 

Mndawe was arrested in July 2019 for the crimes believed to have started a year before where he would lure  women, telling them that he loves them, kill them and bury them in shallow graves in his yard. 

His arrest came after he allegedly killed Tokie Tloka, 24, and was linked to her disappearance through Facebook inboxes after the deceased's sister managed to open her  account and  see who she was talking to prior to her disappearance in 2019. 

Mndawe then pointed out the graves of Noxolo Mdluli, 17, Banele Khoza,15, Felicia Ndlovu, 17, Nomthandazo Mdluli,19, and Tloka, shocking the community. 

On top of each grave, Mndawe had either planted fruit trees or vegetables.

Their bodies were decomposed and DNA tests had to be conducted. 

To date, Mdluli and Ndlovu have not been buried as police are still waiting for results from a laboratory in Switzerland because the results they received from a local facility were inconclusive. 

Mndawe have since opted to use state lawyers  after changing  the teams several times since his arrest. 

He abandoned his bail application as he feared for his life.