How cops used DNA to identify three of six murdered women

The woman who opened the rape case against Sifiso Mkhwnanazi which allegedly triggered him to kill sex workers could not be traced when police started their investigation after the discovery of six bodies.

This is according to Det Sgt Bongani Mbonambi, one of the lead investigators, who testified on Wednesday in the Johannesburg high court, sitting in Palm Ridge. 

Mbonambi, who has been working in the Gauteng police head office of the detectives for 18 years, told the court he started working on the case from the day the bodies were discovered. 

According to the indictment, Mkhwanazi's reign of terror lasted from April 2022 until he was arrested in October 2022.

“The accused's motive was revenge for a rape incident which led to his incarceration for 10 months,” read the indictment.

Mbonambi said the police tried to trace the rape victim but could not as her phone was changed and they could not find her at the address she provided.

When prosecutor Leswikane Mashabela asked what other efforts the team had made to trace the woman, Mbonambi said they went on to the streets where sex workers operated.

“The problem was her name because the sex workers said that they use a different name on the street. It wouldn't be their birth name,” he said. 

Mbonambi testified that police managed to identify only three of the six bodies: Joyce Moyo, Patricia Magaiza and Chihota Nyarai.

The court heard that the first body, Nyarai, was identified through a phone that was discovered inside a school bag which was being used by the accused.

" There were a lot of family members who came forward and said they had opened missing people cases. We told them a cellphone had been discovered and asked them to see if they could identify it.”

He said Nyarai's daughter confirmed that the cellphone was similar to that being used by her mother, was missing.

“She also confirmed that she had a box at home which was with the cellphone when the mother bought it. We went to the home, got the box and compared the IMEI number on it with the number on the phone —  and it matched,” said Mbonambi. 

He said the police were able to compare Nyarai's fingerprints with those on her passport. 

“The last investigation was for DNA. A set of teeth was taken from the deceased and the DNA was compared with DNA from her child. The probability of maternity was 99.98%,” he said.

He told the court that the second body was of Magaiza and they obtained DNA samples from her mother — and the probability of maternity was 99.98%.

He said DNA investigations on the third body were compared with the woman's child's DNA and the probability was 99.97%.

When asked if extra efforts were made to identify the other three bodies, he said initially there were families telling the police their loved ones were missing.

“So part of the investigations was taking DNA samples from family members which unfortunately were negative. We had no luck either with fingerprints but some of the bodies were decomposed to the state of a skeleton,” he said. 

The court was adjourned when defence lawyer Vuyo Maqetuka said he was ill and needed medical help. 

The trial is expected to resume on Monday with the defence cross-examining Mbonambi.

Mkhwanazi is facing six counts of murder, seven counts of rape, six counts of defeating or obstructing the administration of justice, robbery with aggravating circumstances, and unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition.

He pleaded not guilty to all charges but admitted killing women. He tendered an admission in terms of section 220 of the Criminal Procedure Act. He denied raping the women and alleged it was consensual sex which was paid for. He denied planning the murders.   

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