THE pastor and community police member accused of raping and murdering four women has claimed that years of unresolved anger stemming from what he describes as personal betrayal and a previous rape allegation, coupled with what he referred to as a ‘demon’, overcame him, driving him to commit the offences.
The claims are contained in statements recorded and submitted before the Manzini Magistrate’s Court where the accused Nkosingiphile Zwane appeared yesterday.
Zwane alleged that the emotional turmoil that ultimately consumed him began after he was falsely accused of raping a child by a woman with whom he had been in a relationship. He claimed he was arrested and imprisoned over the allegation before eventually being acquitted when it emerged that he had not committed the offence.
Following his release, Zwane said he ended the relationship and attempted to rebuild his life.
He further alleged that his marriage later became strained after his wife fell pregnant and he suspected that another man was responsible.
“This resulted in a family feud. However, my parents advised me to wait until the baby was born before making any conclusions and to avoid a situation whereby my wife would suffer a miscarriage,” he allegedly stated.
According to Zwane, it was later confirmed that indeed he was not the child’s biological father. He claimed that he and his wife reconciled and later had a child together.
However, he alleged that after securing employment in Mbabane and relocating for work, he eventually lost his job and returned home, only to discover that his wife was once again pregnant with another man’s child.
Zwane claimed that these experiences left him harbouring deep resentment towards women.
According to his statement, the first attack allegedly occurred after he met a woman while travelling in a kombi to Luyengo. He claimed that he initiated a romantic relationship with her before inviting her to visit him the next day.
He alleged that when she arrived, he lured her to his church, where he raped her before strangling her with a rope.
Zwane claimed that after sexually assaulting the woman, ‘something came over’ him, prompting him to kill her. He further alleged that the remaining three victims were murdered using the same method.
Zwane claimed that he lured most of the women through Facebook before inviting them to his church, where the attacks allegedly took place.
He also allegedly confessed to disposing of the victims’ personal belongings, including handbags and shoes, by throwing them into a wetland near Lusushwana River, which is situated near the church.
According to the statement, he would initially leave the bodies inside the church and cover them with a plastic material before returning under the cover of darkness to drag them to the wetland near Lusushwana River, where they were allegedly dumped.
Despite the alleged confessions, Zwane claimed that he never intended to kill the women, alleging that a ‘demon’ would unexpectedly take control of him and compel him to commit the crimes.
Meanwhile, Zwane, a pastor affiliated with Apostolic Faith Church International and a former community police member, has been arrested in connection with the alleged rape and murder of four women whose bodies were reportedly recovered near the Lusushwana River at Mfabantfu.
Police investigations intensified after the disappearance of the fourth victim. Sources alleged that police established that Zwane was the last person known to have communicated with her, a breakthrough that ultimately led to his arrest.
The case remains before the courts and Zwane is expected to make his maiden court appearance today.
