‘Something triggered him to kill’ – GBV brigade call for deeper probe into CBD killings
Members of the Gauteng community safety departments’ gender-based violence brigade have come out in support of the families of the six women whose bodies were found in a Johannesburg building earlier this month.
The group of anti-GBV agents joined the demonstration outside the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court where the suspect, who has now been identified as Sfiso Mkhwanazi, appeared for a third time on Tuesday.
Mkhwanazi is facing one charge of murder after eyewitnesses and CCTV footage linked him to one of the victims.
The GBV brigades’ program was developed as a strategic intervention to the growing number of GBVF cases and incidents in Gauteng. There are currently more than 600 brigade officials servicing communities across the province.
It’s believed the bodies are of women who were sex workers in the CBD.
Dudu Maseko is a GBV brigade member and says authorities probing the case need to look at what caused the 20-year-old to [allegedly] commit such a heinous crime.
“What happened? What is the cause of it? We might be looking at it as him killing them, but we want to know what is the cause. What happened before he started killing them? We need those answers because we need to know what have we done as women to deserve this. There’s something that triggered him to kill.”
Maseko says, if found guilty, the man should be sentenced to life behind bars.
“We are looking at him to get [a] life sentence because he robbed children, mothers, sisters, and brothers of their loved ones. They might be sex workers, but they are loved by someone out there.”
Maseko and her co-workers have vowed to attend court proceedings until the case is finalised.
At the same time, National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane says investigations are still underway to determine the identities of the deceased women.
“There are lots of investigations that are still outstanding, amongst them is the DNA results. We are awaiting the results thereof so that we are able to identify the deceased using DNA that was collected from family members that have since reported missing persons. DNA was extracted from such family members as well as the deceased,” she said.
The Sisonke Sex Workers Movement has previously said at least 13 women who worked and lived in the city centre have been reported missing.
While the five other bodies were found in the same vicinity where the victim that has been linked to Mkhwanazi was discovered, Mjonondwane says more evidence around the matter will be revealed during the trial.
The NPA has not ruled out the possibility of additional charges and arrests.
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