Cape Town - The Western Cape High Court sitting in Swellendam has convicted a serial killer on six counts of murder.
Zimbabwean national Brian Mudyiwayana was also convicted on a count of robbery with aggravating circumstances and two counts of being in the country illegally (Contravention of the Refugees Act, 130 of 1998).
He was acquitted on the rape charge.
Mudyiwayana was on a killing spree between 2016 and 2017.
He murdered five women and a man from Swellendam, Bredasdorp, Mossel Bay and De Doorns.
The victims were: Moleboheng Mafata, Gladys Ntondini, Grace Nyasha Hondo, Naume Gwengwe, Lungelwa Dangatye and Michael Pekaan.
The remains of the murdered woman, who he lured with either false job opportunities or whom he was in love with, were found on open fields in the different towns.
Pekaan, the only man murdered by Mudyiwayana, was found inside his home. His fridge, DSTV decoder, three television sets, a lawnmower, a new pair of work boots, a pair of training shoes, a DVD player, bedding and a matric ball dress were stolen from the house.
During his judgment, Judge Derek Wille found the State had proved their case beyond reasonable doubt against Mudyiwayana.
Wille said he considered all the evidential material, including inter alia the formal and informal admissions and the mosaic of evidence presented to the court.
In his reasoning regarding the rape acquittal, Wille stated while there is a strong suspicion that the deceased were raped, mere suspicion was not enough to support the finding of rape.
The Acting Director of Public Prosecutions, Advocate Nicolette Bell, welcomed the judgement and congratulated police and the prosecution teams for their sterling work which led to the successful convictions.
Sentencing proceedings are set to continue on Tuesday (March 1).
IOL