Five years after being convicted for the rape and murder of UCT student Uyinene Mrwetyana, Luyanda Botha has returned to court to face an attempted rape charge dating back to 2014.
The post office employee made headlines in 2019 after he was busted for killing the 19-year-old student at the Clareinch Post Office in Claremont in August of that year.
At the time, court documents revealed that the teen had purchased clothes online and the parcel was due for collection at Clareinch Post Office.
She had made inquiries on August 8 and was assisted by Botha, who told Uyinene that the parcel was not ready for collection and that he would contact her when the parcel arrived.
According to the indictment: “The parcel arrived on August 16, 2019 and on Saturday, August 24, she arrived at the post office after it was closed for business. The accused was alone inside the post office and let her in. The deceased was not seen alive again."
Uyinene was raped twice, her body hidden inside the safe of the post office, and then later dumped and doused with an accelerant before being set alight.
Botha later pleaded guilty to two charges of rape and of murder and was subsequently sentenced to three life sentences at the Western Cape High Court.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson, Eric Ntabazalila, says Botha now faces fresh charges linked to the attempted rape of a 21-year-old nursing student in 2014.
“He is charged with attempted rape of a 21-year-old woman at a nursing college in Athlone in June 2014.
“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 was taking a bath at the time.
“He attempted to rape her but she fought him off. He was later arrested. The State has finished the testimony of the complainant and will continue with the testimony of a witness when the case returns to court on 7 June 2024.”
Ntabazalila further explains the attempted rape charge was reinstated after Botha was sentenced for Uyinene’s case.