The five people on trial — Ncube, Bongani Ntanzi, Mthokozisi Maphisa, Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya and Fisokuhle Ntuli — have pleaded not guilty to charges of premeditated murder, attempted murder, armed robbery, illegal possession of a firearm and the illegal possession of ammunition. (Gallo Images/OJ Koloti)
Defence advocate Sipho Ramosepele has poked holes in Zandile Khumalo’s eyewitness account in the Senzo Meyiwa trial, calling into question the reliability of her initial statement to the police about the features of accused number two.
During the first cross-examination, Ramosepele said Amanda Steenkamp, who drew the suspect’s identikit, had said Khumalo had not described Bongani Ntanzi’s features when the sketch was drawn.
On Wednesday, during the continuation of her testimony led by state prosecutor George Baloyi before Judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng — who replaced Judge Tshifhiwa Maumela after he was suspended for misconduct for failing to deliver judgments within a reasonable period — Khumalo pointed out Ntanzi as one of the intruders who were at the Khumalo home in Vosloorus when Meyiwa was killed.
“That man who is accused number two [Ntanzi]. He was the man wearing the hoodie at the crime scene. He was following the other man with dreadlocks,” said Zandile.
She told the court that she was not afforded the opportunity to identify the five suspects in an identification parade.
“Ever since that day [26 October 2014, when Meyiwa was shot] I have only seen them here in court. As I am sitting here, I can see that man.”
Khumalo told the court that she had not identified anyone after the first suspect, Zanokuhle Mbatha, was arrested shortly after Meyiwa was murdered. Mbatha was later released.
“During the first ID parade, we were still in shock and I could not remember everything,” she said.
Khumalo did not admit or deny that the features she gave to the sketch artist were not the same as those she had described in court, saying that some of the features had been added by other witnesses.
She added that she was suffering from shock and she only realised a lot of things after some time. But “when I came into court, everything, my mind and my heart, my body just came back and I saw him [Ntanzi].”
Ramosepele said Khumalo had never attended an identification parade with all the accused in court because Ntanzi was only arrested in 2020
Khumalo is the first witness in the new trial, she was the fifth and last one in the initial proceedings under Maumela.
The first witness in the previous trial was Sergeant Thabo Mosia, who testified last year that he arrived at the Khumalo family home shortly after midnight to take pictures and compile a sketch of the household.
The five suspects on trial, Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya, Ntanzi, Mthobisi Ncube, Mthokoziseni Maphisa and Fisokuhle Ntuli, again pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to the five charges of premeditated murder, attempted murder, armed robbery, illegal possession of a firearm and the illegal possession of ammunition.