Court proceedings in the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial on Monday, 5 May 2025, resumed later than scheduled after delays in bringing in the four accused—Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya, Bongani Ntanzi, Mthobisi Ncube, and Mthokoziseni Maphisa.
Senzo Meyiwa trial today: Here’s a breakdown of what happened
The session, described as an administrative check-in rather than a full trial day, primarily focused on preparations for the upcoming cross-examination of Brigadier Bongani Gininda.
Court was expected to begin at 09:00 but was delayed for more than an hour. Initially, the State informed the court it was unaware of the cause of the delay. It was later confirmed that the accused were being processed into the court’s holding cells.
The court acknowledged the absence of two defence lawyers—Advocate Zithulele Nxumalo and Advocate Zandile Mshololo—who arranged for Advocate Sipho Ramosepele to stand in on their behalf.
The primary purpose of the day was to confirm Advocate Charles Mnisi’s readiness to assume defence responsibilities for Accused 1, following the death of Advocate Thulani Mngomezulu in December 2024.
Mnisi informed the court he would be prepared to proceed with cross-examination of Brigadier Gininda on 19 May 2025.
He further elaborated on evidence-related issues that had emerged since his appointment, including AVL (Automatic Vehicle Location) data requests tied to vehicles used in the investigation and arrests.
Mnisi raised concerns about the State’s claim that a red VW Golf used by Sergeant Batho Mogola was not equipped with AVL tracking, contrasting with data available from a Toyota Fortuner also used in the case.
“It strikes us very strange that the Fortuner was fitted with the AVL, and now when we request the AVL record of the red Golf we are informed it was not fitted with an AVL,” Mnisi told the court.
Mnisi requested AVL data for additional vehicles involved in the cold case investigation, asserting that the records were central to the defence’s case.
Advocate Ramosepele supported this request, stating that vehicle tracking information from key dates in June was still outstanding and relevant to determine who arrested Accused 1 and 2 and where they were taken.
State prosecutor George Baloyi confirmed receipt of some AVL data and pledged to furnish the rest once formal requests were submitted. The prosecution also noted they were still awaiting AVL data for a white BMW driven by Sergeant Mogola, mentioned during earlier testimony.
Judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng pointed out that such AVL-related queries had not been raised during earlier cross-examinations of Mogola and Sergeant Vusimuzi Mogane.
He questioned why these issues were only surfacing now, suggesting that Mnisi should have been informed by Accused 1 whether these matters were previously addressed by his late counsel.
Mnisi insisted he could not disclose privileged discussions between himself and the accused.
“You don’t have to have the wisdom of Mandela to say, ‘did you instruct your previous counsel, Mr Mngomezulu, to do A, B, C and D. It must follow.,” the judge replied.
Despite this exchange, Mnisi maintained he was legally obligated to follow up on new developments.
The court accepted the explanation and proceeded to confirm that the trial would resume on 19 May 2025.
What to expect when the trial resumes
When the trial resumes, Brigadier Bongani Gininda will return to the witness stand for continued cross-examination. This follows earlier testimony from 2 December 2024, when Gininda confirmed that the accused were identified based on witness statements and visual descriptions.
During his previous appearance, Gininda stated that the first intruder—described as armed, speaking isiZulu, and fitting a specific physical profile—was matched to Accused 3, Mthobisi Ncube.
He cited statements from witnesses such as Longwe Twala and Tumelo Madlala that described a short man with dreadlocks, a gold tooth, and dark shiny skin, features he linked to the photographic evidence in Exhibit J.
Advocate Charles Mnisi, who at the time represented only Accused 3, had concluded his questioning of Gininda. When proceedings resume, he will cross-examine Gininda on behalf of Accused 1, likely focusing on procedural and evidentiary gaps raised in court today.
The continuation of Gininda’s testimony is expected to delve deeper into the circumstances surrounding the arrests, including the use—or absence—of AVL data.
The defence has signalled its intention to press for clarity on who was responsible for transporting the accused and how the vehicles involved were tracked.
The trial is set to reconvene on Monday, 19 May 2025.
