The latest session in the Senzo Meyiwa trial concluded without significant progress, coinciding with the ninth anniversary of his death.
Senzo Meyiwa trial hampered by more delays on his ninth ‘deathiversy’
Thursday’s proceedings saw Lieutenant-Colonel Solomon Raphadu return to the witness stand. He faced a series of questions from Advocate George Baloyi and Thulani Mngomezulu, counsels for the prosecution and defence, respectively.
The questions mainly revolved around the validity and conditions under which a statement was obtained from one of the accused, Bongani Ntanzi.
Raphadu explained that the accused willingly gave a statement without any legal practitioner present. He further asserted that the accused was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs and had not been assaulted or coerced into making the statement.
The statement was completed on 19 June 2020, marked by the accused’s thumbprint and Raphadu’s signature.
However, the defence argued that the accused was forced to make the statement. Mngomezulu raised concerns about the accused allegedly being assaulted before Raphadu took the statement.
Ntanzi’s version differed significantly, claiming that he was coerced and assaulted into giving a statement by other officers, not Raphadu.
The defence also questioned the circumstances surrounding the accused’s arrest. According to Mngomezulu, Ntanzi was initially arrested on 16 June 2020, for possession of unlicensed ammunition but was not formally charged until later.
Trial-within-a-trial stalemate delays justice
The Senzo Meyiwa trial has attracted nationwide attention, not just for its high-profile nature but also for the slow pace at which it is progressing. This is especially poignant given that the proceedings are unfolding on the ninth anniversary of Meyiwa’s untimely death
The former Orlando Pirates first-choice goalkeeper was gunned down in what was reported as a botched armed robbery, at the residence of Khumalo’s mother in Vosloorus, Boksburg, on Sunday 26 October 2014.
The five suspects, Carlos Mthobisi Mncube, Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya, Bongani Ntanzi, Mthokoziseni Maphisa and Fisokuhle Ntuli, facing murder, attempted murder, robbery and gun charges, were nabbed in October 2021, on the seventh anniversary of the Orlando Pirates goalkeeper’s death.
One of the murder accused, Sibiya, was recently sentenced to 12 years imprisonment for attempted murder. He was found guilty of shooting his girlfriend, who, at the time, had threatened to lift the lid on his alleged involvement in the death of Meyiwa.
Kelly Khumalo has also been linked to the death of Meyiwa, who, at the time, was romantically involved with the revered songstress.
Despite numerous rumours of her alleged masterminding of the murder, her attorney Magdalene Moonsamy has long maintained that her client was willing to cooperate if summoned.
“She has been looking forward to this, and it’s nowhere, and we anticipate closure. There is a family involved, there is a child involved that has lost her dad and this is important for the purposes of herself and for the purposes of moving forward,” Moonsamy said at the time.
Senzo Meyiwa’s trial is set to resume on Friday.