Sifiso Mkhwanazi (21), who was convicted of killing six Zimbabwean women who were commercial sex workers in Johannesburg, was yesterday slapped with six sentences of life imprisonment for the murders, plus another 25 years for other offences, and has to wait 30 years behind bars before a court can reconsider his effective sentence.
Mkhwanazi appeared in the Johannesburg High Court, sitting in Palm Ridge, yesterday for sentencing.
This followed the conclusion of the pre-sentencing proceedings.
He was charged with rape, murder, defeating the ends of justice and illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition.
He was found guilty of committing the crimes in March this year.
A psychiatric report revealed that Mkhwanazi showed no signs of mental illness and did not express any remorse for his crimes during the assessment.
In delivering judgment, Judge Cassim Moosa emphasised that, despite the accused's age at the time of the murders, he remained a dangerous criminal.
"I have carefully considered the relative age of the accused when he committed his crimes and the argument that he should be regarded as relatively youthful when considering a suitable sentence to be imposed upon him.
"Having done so and accepting that he was 19 years old at the time of the commission of the crimes, I am compelled to conclude that the supposed relative youthfulness simply pales into the background having due regard into the horrendous nature of his actions," said Judge Moosa.
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The judge said the crimes Mkhwanazi was convicted of, along with the condition of the victims' bodies, clearly demonstrated a high level of violence against them.
"There was an extremely great degree of premeditation involved on the part of the accused over a period of time in the commission of the crimes."
Judge Moosa said Mkhwanazi acknowledged that he committed the crimes but did not "seem to have insight into his criminality or the impact the crimes had on the victims".
"The accused has proved that he has a very poor prognosis for rehabilitation and will most likely remain a threat to society as long as he is alive. Government has identified violence against women as a national scourge."
Mkhwanazi was sentenced to life imprisonment, along with an additional 10 years for obstructing the course of justice and 15 years for rape.
"The accused is sentenced to undergo imprisonment for an indeterminate period and it is directed that the accused shall be brought before this court upon exploration of 30 years to enable this court to reconsider his sentence," the judge ruled.
Mkhwanazi previously admitted to killing the six Zimbabwean women between April and October 2022.
The accused claimed he killed the women because they demanded more money after he had hired them.
Two of the victims were pregnant.
He was subsequently arrested following the discovery of the six bodies at his father's panel beating workshop in Johannesburg. - The Citizen.
