Sex worker killer suspect wants father barred from visiting him behind bars

The father of Sifiso Mkhwanazi, 20, arrested after the discovery in Johannesburg of six bodies believed to be of sex workers, is allegedly putting his son under pressure to confess.

This emerged at his third appearance in the Johannesburg magistrate’s court on Tuesday. Media were allowed to reveal his identity for the first time.

His defence lawyer Khanyiswa Mkhabe asked the court to bar his father from visiting him until further notice.

“The accused is not happy that his father visited him and asked him to confess,” she said.

Magistrate Betty Khumalo said an accused has the right to decline visitors. However, she said this was a matter to be handled by the correctional services department and his lawyer could take it up with them.

Khumalo had advice for the families of people awaiting trial: “Nobody is entitled to compel the accused to make a confession. People must understand this also applies to family. That is something a person must do freely and voluntarily without any undue influence.”

A forced confession could negatively affect the course of justice, she said.

“If it is going to surface at a later stage that we are sitting here with a confession that was irregularly obtained, we will have a problem,” she said.

The state has asked for a postponement pending further investigations.

The suspect, who is charged with one count of premeditated murder, is expected to appear at the same court on October 31 for a bail hearing.

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