The accused Luyanda Botha during a court appearance. Picture: Ayanda Ndamane/Independent Newspapers
Luyanda Botha, currently serving a life imprisonment term for the rape and murder of Uyinene Mrwetyana, will return to the dock next month for an attempted rape that allegedly occurred in 2014.
Botha is accused of the attempted rape of a 21-year-old nursing student at a training college in Athlone.
He appeared in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on May 10 after charges against him were reinstated following his conviction and sentence for Mrwetyana’s murder and rape.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said: “The State alleges that Botha, who is serving life imprisonment for the rape and brutal murder of Uyinene Mrwetyana, visited a woman at the institution but found the victim who was taking a bath at the time. He attempted to rape her but she fought him off. He was later arrested.
“The State had finished the testimony of the complainant and will continue with the testimony of a witness when the case returns to court on June 7,” said Ntabazalila.
Botha, who pleaded not guilty, is currently serving three life terms after he was sentenced in November 2019.
Botha murdered 19-year-old Mrwetyana at the Clareinch Post Office in Claremont on August 24, 2019, sparking a nationwide outcry.
He had entered into a plea and sentencing agreement with the State when he confessed that he first met Mrwetyana on August 8, 2019, when she had come to enquire about a parcel she was expecting.
Botha had told her that he would contact her when the parcel was available. Two weeks later, after working hours and while he was alone at the post office, Botha contacted Mrwetyana to inform her that her package was ready for collection.
After making sexual advances to Mrwetyana which she ignored, Botha raped her and locked her in a post office safe where she was bludgeoned to death with a blunt object to the head.
After spending the evening drinking at a local tavern, Botha returned to the post office where he bundled her body into his car boot and drove her to Lingelethu West where he burned her.
Cape Times