The man accused of murdering six abacimbizi, a term sex workers prefer to be called by, made his first appearance at the Johannesburg Magistrates Court. He walked up to the court gallery covering his whole face with a black short sleeved t-shirt, even his eyes were barely visible. He was dressed in a black long sleeved t-shirt, navy blue pants, light blue sandals and kept his head down. The 21-year-old accused of murdering six women "abacimbizi" was hiding them at his father's make shift workshop near Faraday Taxi Rank.

IDENTITY PARADE

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His appearance was brief and his identity was concealed because the State Prosecutor Nazley January said they have to do an identity parade and finalise the suspects bail documents. January said they will be opposing bail following the seriousness of the matter. The  media  was made to sign and vow not  to take pictures or reveal the names of the accused. Abacimbizi gathered outside court supported by the  Sisonke National Sexworkers Movement.

MOST SEX WORKERS COULD NOT GET INTO COURT

Many of them were unhappy because they could not go in due to capacity. They said not all of them knew the suspect but they want to know him in the eventuality that he gets bail and targets his next victim. "We are the ones hustling on the streets, it's not fair that people who have no idea about our struggles and trauma can go inside court  and we can't, " a sex worker who didn't want to be named for the fear that her family would discover what she does for a living.
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A MASSACRE FOR THE INDUSTRY

Sisonke's Katlego Rasebitse said they want to use this case to make the biggest noise ever.He said it doesn't matter if the women were sex workers or not.
"This is viewed as a massacre in the sex working industry, we've been hit by a blow. Politicians don't care about these women, they are busy playing reshuffling games. Come 2024 they'll be wanting votes from the very same people they are neglecting," he said. He added that, "We are now going to the biggest conference in December  and they might the resolution from it might not be satisfactory. I challenged COSATU and told them that they've been quiet about sex work yet it's in their resolution to decriminalise it. At some point somebody needs to be held accountable but who is willing to take on this responsibility?"

PERPETRATOR MUST SPEND ENTIRE LIFE IN JAIL

He said he wondered when the voices of the women that are being raped and killed are going to be heard."We have women who escaped death from this man's hands and they have the scars to show for it. Nobody cares and it's painful. We are encouraging all the women who were victims of this man to come forward because in total 13 women went missing but only six were discovered. This case needs to have weight and the perpetrator should spend the rest of his miserable life in jail."
National prosecution authorities spokeswoman Phindi Mjonondwane said although the SAPS said the suspect was charged with six counts of murder, they are charging him with one.
"Evidence brought forward suggests that he killed only one of the six women. Further investigation might prove otherwise, we will be guided by its outcomes for the turn around of the charges."