By A Correspondent| The case against convicted serial killer Sifiso Mkhwanazi has been postponed until the end of the month after his lawyer reported being unwell.

Mkhwanazi made a brief appearance in the High Court at Palm Ridge on Thursday morning, where pre-sentencing proceedings were expected to continue.

“By agreement between the parties, your matter is then postponed back to the High Court in Gauteng Division, Johannesburg, to Wednesday, 28 August 2024 at 09:00, or shortly thereafter, where the matter shall be heard for pre-sentencing proceedings – which includes arguments in mitigation and aggravation of sentence,” Judge Cassim Moosa informed Mkhwanazi.

In March, the 21-year-old was convicted on more than 20 charges, including murder, rape, theft, and defeating the ends of justice. These charges stem from the horrifying discovery of the decomposed bodies of six sex workers at his father’s Johannesburg car repair workshop in October 2022.

Last week, social worker Xolile Budaza, who conducted an assessment of Mkhwanazi, testified that the court should not deviate from the mandatory life imprisonment sentence. Budaza’s report, based on five in-person consultations, detailed Mkhwanazi’s childhood, his reactions to the murders, and his subsequent conviction.

The report highlighted that Mkhwanazi had specifically targeted individuals from marginalized groups and had failed to successfully navigate critical psychological development stages crucial for personality formation. Additionally, Budaza noted that Mkhwanazi had not been forthcoming about the underlying causes of his serial crimes and showed no signs of remorse.

“Based on this analysis and the findings by the forensic psychiatrist, it is clear that the accused has not reached a level of genuine remorse. Although he expressed his feelings regarding his actions, his focus was primarily on himself and the difficulty of taking another person’s life. Therefore, deviation from the prescribed minimum sentence of life is not recommended, as the accused appears to have suppressed many unwanted experiences and emotions,” Budaza concluded.