The prosecution will be relying on the testimony of 16 State witnesses in its bid to prove its case against Luyanda Botha for the rape and murder of Uyinene Mrwetyana.

The State’s case will be led by the Director of Public Prosecutions in the Western Cape, advocate Rodney De Kock.

If convicted, Botha faces life behind bars. He is accused of twice raping Mrwetyana, a first-year University of Cape Town student, before bludgeoning her to death.

Her body was allegedly hidden in the Clareinch Post Office safe in Claremont, Cape Town overnight before being taken to Lingelethu West the next day where Botha allegedly doused her body with an accelerant and set it alight.

Botha, according to the State, made a confession and pointed out the crime scene. This, however, must first be accepted by the trial court to be admitted as evidence.

Botha met Mrwetyana just over two weeks before her murder, it is charged, when she enquired about a parcel.

Raped, murdered, and destroyed evidence

Botha had assisted her, informing the student that the clothing she had ordered online had not yet arrived.

They exchanged details, and Botha had allegedly contacted her when her delivery came.

De Kock will set out to prove that Botha had attacked Mrwetyana in the post office on August 24, when she arrived there after operating hours, raped her and murdered her, before destroying evidence to evade arrest.

De Kock, following the murder of newlywed Anni Hindocha, negotiated the plea bargains with the killers in the high-profile Dewani case, also driving the extradition of the honeymoon murder accused, News24 previously reported.

He had also made the shortlist of candidates for the National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP). Advocate Shamila Batohi was eventually appointed.

Botha is expected in the Western Cape High Court on November 15 for a pre-trial conference.

(SOURCE: NEWS24)