Update

PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - DNA evidence placing the man accused of raping and murdering Plettenberg Bay hospice nurse Penny Cumming at the scene of the crime, has been confirmed and will form part of the evidence in the man's trial which is currently under way in the Knysna Circuit High Court.

Gcobani Lokwe, who pleaded not-guilty to the charges, is accused of raping and killing the 63-year-old Schoongezicht Country Estate resident in January last year.

He was arrested on 30 January, following the grisly discovery of Cumming's naked and bruised body on the floor of her home by a friend the previous day. Her home was also ransacked and her Volvo SUV missing. The partially destroyed vehicle was found near Nekkies in Knysna later that day.

It was subsequently established that Cumming had been raped and the cause of death was strangulation.

Lokwe, who appeared in court over the past week, is in custody after he was denied bail in the Plettenberg Bay Magistrate's Court in February last year. The matter was subsequently transferred to the high court.

During his recent court appearance, a forensic pathology report confirmed that DNA evidence collected during the police investigation placed Lokwe at the scene of the crime.

The accused also indicated that he denied that his rights had been read to him during his arrest and that he was the victim of police brutality.

The matter was postponed to 18 March for the continuation of the trial. During his next appearance it is expected that final arguments would be heard by the prosecution and the defence.

The news of Cumming's rape and murder sent shockwaves through the Plettenberg Bay community, which led to several protests against his release on bail. A petition with 5 000 signatures also formed part of the action.