The two men accused of raping and murdering Sinoxolo Mafevuka, 19, in Khayelitsha last month have accused the investigating officer of coercing a confession by torturing them while they were in custody.

Their identities are being withheld after magistrate Xolani Menyiwe requested, for their safety, that no personal details of the men be released.

On Wednesday, the Khayelitsha Magistrate’s Court heard that the brothers, aged 21 and 28, were tortured.

They alleged the investigating officer and two officials tied handcuffs to their genitals and kicked them.

The men’s family lodged a complaint with the Independent Police Investigative Directorate.

The men were arrested about two weeks after the girl’s body was found in a communal toilet, about 100m from her home, on March 1.

Her head was stuffed into the toilet bowl, her naked body facing the door, while her clothes were in a cistern.

She was last seen on her way to use the toilet in Blowey Section because there were no toilets in the SST Section.

Prosecutor Ndakhele Mlungwana delayed proceedings because he was unsure whether or not to argue the bail application.

He admitted to the court that DNA samples collected at the scene were that of a female only.

This hindered the case.

The eldest suspect, who had served a month in prison for assault, maintained he was at home when Mafevuka was killed – and he had a witness.

The case was postponed to Monday.

[Source: Cape Argus]