Cape Town — The murder trial of former Bafana Bafana captain, Senzo Meyiwa, is underway following its resumption on Monday after a two-month break, where all five men accused appeared in court.
The investigating officer in the court proceedings revealed that one of the accused was so cooperative with the police, that he was willing to turn into a state witness.
Lead investigator in the matter, Brigadier Bongani Gininda, is testifying on confessions made by Bongani Ntanzi and one of his co-accused, EWN reported.
Ntanzi and Muzikawkhulelwa Sibiya distanced themselves from the confessions, saying they were beaten into signing them. Two police officers described Ntanzi as cooperative and in good spirits, with Sergeant Vusumuzi Mogane saying he and Ntazni chatted lielk brothers after his arrest.
#SenzoMeyiwaTrial has adjourned after the judge gave the defence until 2pm to go through the 70-page affidavit by Brig. Bongani Gininda, which revealed that Meyiwa’s murder was a contract killing rather than a robbery gone wrong. @LindA_MniSii reports.https://t.co/9BC83ywf9u pic.twitter.com/oYUrD2ZUlI
— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) January 23, 2024
Despite Ntanzi’s denial, the State also insisted he was legally represented by a man known as Advocate Dominic Mjiyako.
On Monday, State Advocate George Baloyi handed over a document confirming Mjiyako’s enrolment as a lawyer, which he said Mjiyako produced for Gininda in 2020.
Gininda told the court that evidence obtained under oath shows the fatal shooting of the soccer star was a “contractual assassination” and not a botched robbery. He said Ntuli was the driver of the silver-grey Polo used on the night, while his co-accused Mthokoziseni Maphisa was on the lookout, SowetanLIVE said.
The lead investigator made these revelations at the resumption of the trial within a trial set to determine the admissibility of the confessions made by Sibiya and Ntanzi.
Proceedings in the court hit a delay due to a dispute between the state and defence over dockets involving alleged crimes committed by some of the accused. Baloyi told the court that there was a serious dispute” between the state and defence over a docket involving Bongani Ntanzi’s alleged crimes and four other dockets, TimesLIVE reported.
The docket refers to an unfinalised Nongoma murder and unlawful possession of firearm case involving Ntanzi.
“The defence was of the view that copies can be made of the docket and we therefore could not reach an agreement yesterday,” said Baloyi.
Judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng said his ruling that no copies of dockets can be made stands. “Those are privileged documents. The accused are not entitled to the documents as a matter of rights,” he said.
[WATCH] Adv. Thulani Mngomezulu, representing accused 1 and 2 in the #SenzoMeyiwaTrial, complains that the state ambushes them with content from other dockets. Judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng says the defence can “only have access to those dockets inside the court”.#Newzroom405 pic.twitter.com/zjReNqMlTl
— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) January 23, 2024
Follow African Insider on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
Picture: X/@AdvoBarryRoux
For more African news, visit Africaninsider.com
Compiled by Matthew Petersen
