The case against the man who is accused of killing six alleged sex workers who were found in his father's panel beaters workshop is facing an additional charge of rape. Sifiso Mkhwanazi (21) was arrested in October last year after the discovery of the women's decomposed bodies with one being pregnant at his father's workshop in Selby Village, Johannesburg. He appeared briefly at the Johannesburg Magistrates Court on Tuesday where the state confirmed that investigations into the matter are progressing.

State prosecutor Tshepo Mahange kaMzizi said developments in the investigation linked Mkhwanazi to a previous rape case. "There is a matter which is not a part of this prison case that the directive from the Director of Public Prosecutions in the south is asking that we also pursue - which is a matter of Sexual Offences Act which happened prior to the events of this present situation of the six dead bodies," KaMzizi told the court. He added that the rape docket will be further investigated and possibly and added to the accused murder cases. Mkhwanazi was initially charged with the murder of only one of the women last year but he has since reportedly linked to the other murders.

Gauteng SAPS spokeswoman Brigadier Brenda Muridili said the grim discovery was made after police were called to the building due to a foul smell coming out of one of the rooms. "That is when a body of a woman was found. A preliminary investigation led the police to the suspect, believed to be the last person seen with the deceased woman. On 02 October 2022, the suspect was seen with the deceased woman. She was never seen again until her body was discovered at a makeshift workshop. The clothes she was wearing matched the description of one of the missing persons that were reported at that time. Muridili said upon questioning the suspect, the police went back to the building and five more bodies were discovered outside the building where there is a makeshift workshop and rubbish dumpsters. Mkhwanazi was positively identified by five sex workers as the man who took the six deceased women. According to police, Mkhwanazi was previously arrested on rape charges in June 2021, but the charges were later withdrawn. The case against Mkhwanazi has been postponed to August.