Durban — The trial against a man suspected of being a serial rapist and killer in the Queensburgh area had to be postponed to next week due to the recording machine not working in the Sexual Offences Court of the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court.
Information that the Daily News has is that this machine has not been working since November and the court has made use of other courtrooms for proceedings. However, on Tuesday, there was no alternate courtroom available which saw matters being postponed.
While 45-year-old Lindokuhle Rowan Mwethu Beni is charged with housebreaking with the intent to rape, housebreaking with the intent to steal, and robbery as well as rape, he is also suspected of being an alleged serial rapist and murderer.
The charges against him were the only cases the State was able to pin on him with evidence.
He had previously been charged with two counts of murder and two counts of rape and house robberies.
However, he had the two murder charges provisionally withdrawn while the State continued investigating.
It’s said that the man had made it hard for police to identify him in the past as he cleaned the scene and his victims with sanitiser after the crime, to eliminate DNA.
He had also allegedly gone to the lengths of biting his fingertips in a bid to not leave any evidence and also making it impossible for police to take his fingerprints upon arrest in the past.
The two murder charges that were provisionally withdrawn against the man relate to Malvern residents 40-year-old Evidence Ntombifikile Seager and 72-year-old Savithree Moodley.
In August last year, Seager’s body was found not far from her home.
She had been stabbed 12 times in the chest and had handcuffs around her ankles, she was allegedly raped.
Items that were allegedly stolen from Seager’s home were found on the accused when he was arrested.
Moodley was found murdered in October last year in her home with stab wounds on her chest.
The trial against Beni began last month and was adjourned to be continued on Tuesday. However, Beni from Mdansane in East London, only made a brief appearance and his trial had to be postponed due to the non-functioning machine.
The State had six witnesses lined up to testify, most of whom were police officers and one a man who allegedly had bought some stolen items from the accused.
The State indicated that the trial had been set down to sit for two days.
Magistrate Siphiwe Hlophe explained the court’s predicament to the witnesses.
“Unfortunately the recording machine is not working in this court and there’s no court available for us to use we are therefore forced to postpone this trial. The matter (regarding the recording machine) will be dealt with by the court manager. We hope to finish with all your evidence next week,” said Hlophe to the witnesses.
He warned the witnesses to be in court next week.
While the murder of Seager was provisionally withdrawn against Beni, her family and friends, who are adamant that Beni is the murderer, were in court on Tuesday clad in blue t-shirts which brandished a “Justice for Women” slogan on the front.
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