Uyinene Mrwetyana: Murder and rape accused starts pre-trial hearing

A pre-trial hearing against Uyinene Mrwetyana’s murder and rape accused, Luyanda Botha, 42, will be heard at the Western Cape High court on Friday 15 November 2019. 

The former Post Office worker accused of brutally raping and murdering 19-year-old Uyinene Mrewetyana in August 2019, previously appeared at the Wynberg magistrate’s court on 5 November 2019 to answer for his crimes. 

Botha faces two counts of rape, one count of murder and one of defeating the ends of justice. 

Mrwetyana’s gruesome murder

Mrwetyana, a film and media student at the University of Cape Town (UCT) visited the Clareinch Post Office in August, when she was told by an employee to return later that day due to the power being off. 

When she returned, the accused was the only one there and it is alleged that the employee brutally raped and then bludgeoned her to death. The man allegedly confessed to police after he was arrested and gave shocking details of Mrwetyana’s last hours before her death.

Botha disposes the body 

Blood was found inside the post office and in the man’s car. TimesLive reported  that Police Minister, Bheki Cele revealed that Mrwetyana’s alleged killer apparently burnt her body and then buried her in a shallow grave after raping and killing her inside the post office.

Cele said the man, after realising what he had done, bought liquor and drank it because “he didn’t know what to do.”

“He wrapped the young, beautiful body, put it in his boot, burnt the body and dug it into a grave. The body was found before we found him,” he said. 

Mrwetyana’s remains were found in Lingelethu West, Khayelitsha, a few days after she was last seen alive.

Post Office staff review 

Communications and Digital Technologies Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams has confirmed, the man arrested for the rape and murder of UCT student Uyinene Mrwetyana has been “summarily dismissed” from the Post Office.

“As he made himself guilty of gross misconduct by intentionally misleading the organisation and stating under oath that he had never been convicted of any criminal offence,” Ndabeni-Abrahams said.

After the brutal rape and murder of Mrwetyana, allegedly at the Clareinch Post Office in Cape Town, Ndabeni-Abrahams met with SAPO and requested a comprehensive report of its staff.

She said of the 300 flagged employees, the State Security Agency further identified 174 employees who have criminal records. 

“SAPO is in the process of further investigations to ascertain the appropriate actions to be taken against identified employees.”