An alleged serial rapist who lured women to remote sugar cane plantations and then raped and killed them, insists he is innocent.
|||Durban - An alleged serial rapist who lured young women to remote sugar-cane plantations in the Empangeni area and then raped and killed them insists he is innocent.
Ntokozo Skhumbuzo Mthimkhulu, 34, of Esikhawini, whose trial began in 2011, told the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Tuesday that he had no idea why he had been charged.
“I don’t know anything about these crimes. I am innocent,” he said.
Mthimkhulu is accused of raping, robbing and killing six women between May and August 2010. The victims were Nozipho Nobuhle Mchunu, Nokuthula Jele, Millagrossa Zitha, Jabu Langa, Zanele Ndlovu and another woman who remains unidentified.
The State alleges that Mthimkhulu approached his victims at a bus and taxi rank in Empangeni and in the CBD and allegedly lured them to nearby sugar-cane plantations where he robbed, raped and killed them.
According to the indictment, Mthimkhulu met his first victim, Mchunu, at the Empangeni taxi rank between May and June. She was on her way to work in Richards Bay.
He allegedly lured her to Tedder Farm, where he raped and killed her. Her remains were found on June 21.
One of the victims was an unidentified woman. She was hitchhiking when Mthimkhulu saw her. He allegedly took her to Logan’s Farm, where she was assaulted and robbed of R150. She was then raped and killed. Her remains were found on July 28, 2010.
Jele suffered a similar fate on July 7 near the Ngwelezane bypass in Empangeni.
She had left home in the France area and was walking to work in the Empangeni.
She allegedly encountered Mthimkhulu on a footpath near the Hillview area. He allegedly took her to a plantation at Mshana where he allegedly assaulted her and robbed her of R200 before he raped and killed her. Her remains were found on August 30.
On July 11, Zitha met Mthimkhulu at a taxi rank. He allegedly lured her to Hillview Farm where he assaulted her and robbed her of her cellphone. She was then raped and killed.
On August 13, Langa was found dead at a taxi rank near the Empangeni CBD. She had been robbed of her cellphone and raped. She died of strangulation
.
On June 28, Ndlovu was allegedly attacked by Mthimkhulu. She was on her way to work in Mtubatuba.
He allegedly approached her at the taxi rank and lured her to Tedder Farm where he raped and killed her. She was robbed of her cellphone. Her remains were found on September 27.
DNA evidence links Mthimkhulu to only one of the victims. The remains of the other women were too badly decomposed for any forensic evidence to be obtained.
The case continues.
Daily News