Rape, murder accused to face six more counts

Malibongwe Ncokolo, accused of raping and killing two women near Mdantsane’s Daluxolo informal settlement in May 2017, is now to face six more rape and murder charges.

The shock news emerged on Monday when Ncokolo, 43, briefly appeared before the Bhisho high court, where his week-long trial in the rape and murder of Bongiwe Matoyo, 29, and Lindi Malote, 19, was to commence and run until Friday.

But it was postponed indefinitely after it emerged Ncokolo may be linked to a further six cases involving women who disappeared in the same vicinity that the decomposed bodies of the two women were found.

Matoyo and Malote’s bodies were found at the bottom of a cliff near the Daluxolo settlement in NU6 in May 2017.

The two women’s bodies were discovered by community members who were chasing Ncokolo in the belief that he had raped a 14-year-old schoolgirl and robbed her of her phone and money.

Ncokolo has pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder, three counts of rape and a robbery charge.

Police spokesperson Captain Mluleki Mbi on Monday confirmed that Ncokolo’s high court trial had to be temporarily delayed as police investigators were now consolidating six more dockets to add to his charge sheet.

Mbi said police had linked Ncokolo to the new cases after noting similarities.

He said the crimes took place early in 2017, just a few months before Ncokolo was caught.

This was a few days after the alleged rape of the 14-year-old pupil on May 31 2017, in an unfinished RDP house.

Ncokolo was arrested on June 7 and has been custody since then, as he abandoned his bail application.

A new date for his trial is yet to be decided.