Man 'rapes neighbour, kills man and plants body parts at woman’s house'

The Pretoria high court will on Thursday continue handing down judgment on Raymond Mkanzi, who is accused of raping his neighbour and later planting a dead man's body parts outside her home after his arrest on rape charges.

Mkanzi from Skierlik, Pienaarspoort is charged with kidnapping, robbery with aggravating circumstances, assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, sexual assault, rape and murder.

After the rape allegations, his rape victim discovered two amputated human fingers, an ear and a note written in blood.

On Wednesday Mkanzi sat in the accused box, looking ahead as the judge went through the summary of his judgment. He is accused of kidnapping the victim and her friend after the three had accompanied each other on October 15 to East Lynne for Mkanzi to collect money from his sister and pay a debt he allegedly owed the rape complainant.

After the three travelled by train, they got off at Silverton station where Mkanzi said a route through the bush was a shortcut.

After arriving at a dump site, the victim alleged, Mkanzi hit her friend on the head with a rock and sexually assaulted her. She said she was then raped by Mkanzi who forced the women to remain in the field throughout the night by threatening them with an object resembling a screwdriver. He allegedly told them it was his job to kill people.

Mkanzi also forcefully took cellphones, bank cards, store cards, money amounting to R100 and a handbag.

The woman, who managed to escape, alerted community members who allegedly demolished Mkanzi’s shack which he had bought for R2,000.

After his arrest, Mkanzi was released after 48 hours and he allegedly called a community leader, Zacharia Tshehlo, and a community member, demanding they rebuild his shack.

On  November 5 2019, the victim said, she woke up and found a box on her doorstep containing two fingers, an ear and a note which stated she must meet the author within two days. The parts were from the body of Dean Phillip Brendon Sampson, who Mkanzi allegedly murdered.

Mkanzi was eventually arrested by the community and taken to a sports ground, where he was assaulted until the police took him away.

However, the version that Mkanzi told the court is of himself being the victim and his neighbour framing him, together with a person he referred to as Thabiso, who was part of a group that kills people.

Mkanzi told the court that on October 15 2019, the victim had sent her son to borrow transport money and he gave him R40. Later that morning she allegedly came to Mkanzi’s shack and said they must go to East Lynne for “a surprise”, he said.

Mkanzi said he had had a romantic relationship with her since 2015 and built her a two-room shack. He said they would visit each other and have sleepovers.

Further, he said, he, the victim and her friend travelled to Eersterust by train, a trip which the victim initiated.

He claimed that he did not know where they were going. 

When they got off at the Silverton train station, he alleged that the victim led them to a bushy place.

Mkanzi further alleged that while the friend was seated, the victim revealed that they should kill the friend to make money and said Thabiso, the person allegedly framing him, wanted body parts.

He denied the rape charges, telling the court that the victim told him she wanted to have sex with him.

Mkanzi said he obliged and had sex with her and later returned to the victim's friend and accompanied the two women to the main road where she gave them transport money and went back to meet up with his friend at a tavern in Silverton. 

He said he spent the night with his friend in the tavern and travelled home by train in the morning. 

Mkanzi said when he returned to his shack, resident Zacharia Tshohle called him to the community hall where he was locked in and told to admit to everything.

He said he was handed a bag containing cellphones and a screwdriver. 

Police later came and arrested him and upon his release on October 21 2019 the victim allegedly met him at the door of the court and directed him to a Honda belonging to Thabiso.

Mkanzi said he was driven to the dump site in Eersterust.

He alleged that a 24-year-old man (Sampson), who was tied up, was brought and strangled. He was instructed to place a knife on top of the man's hands and hit the knives with a rock, thereby amputating the man's fingers.

He said he was also instructed to cut off the man's ears. 

Mkanzi alleged that Thabiso gave the accused water to drink and he slept until the following day.

One of the officers who testified told the court that Mkanzi had confessed to the murder and pointed out where the body was without being coerced.

Further, while at the scene Mkanzi dug out a knife next to the body and said it was used to kill the man.

He took the police to an area of about 500m from where the body was and took out a bag filled with knives. He also showed the police clothing, a toothbrush and a razor and said they belonged to him.

According to a state witness, there was no evidence linking Thabiso, the victim and Tshohle to the murder or to the accused.

Handing down of judgment continues on Thursday.

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