No more bodies found at Uyinene’s alleged murderer’s house, say police

There was no truth to rumours on social media that more bodies were found in shallow graves at the house of University of Cape Town (UCT) student Uyinene Mrwetyana’s alleged murderer, Western Cape police said.

A house believed to belong to the man accused of attacking and murdering Mrwetyana was on Tuesday set alight in Khayelitsha, in the Western Cape.

Several videos surfacing on social media emerged on Tuesday night showing community members in Khayelitsha Ward 94 burning a house believed to belong to the alleged murderer.

In some of these videos, what appears to be a shallow grave is shown. Several tweets claimed that up to four bodies were found at the house, including the remains of the alleged killer’s wife.

But Western Cape police spokesperson André Traut on Wednesday told News24 that there was no truth to these rumours.

“This office can confirm that a house in I-Section Khayelitsha was set alight by community members [on Tuesday] night.

“The owner of the property cannot be identified. The circumstances surrounding the incident are under police investigation and the suspects are yet to be arrested. Our members were deployed in the area to maintain law and order and to quell any form of violence.

No bodies found

“There were no bodies found on the premises,” Traut said.

Ward councillor Patrick Mgxunyeni confirmed to News24 that the house belonged to the man who is alleged to have killed Mrwetyana, saying: “The community decided that they were tired of inaction when it comes to gender-based violence, particularly women.”

Mrwetyana was allegedly attacked, raped and murdered by a post office employee in Cape Town. The 42-year-old arrested in connection with Mrwetyana’s disappearance and subsequent death appeared in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on Monday.

The court heard that the first-year film and media studies student had been killed in the Clareinch post office in Claremont the same day she disappeared – August 24.

Magistrate Goolam Bawa on Monday ordered that the suspect not yet be named.

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