Investigating officer Brigadier Bongani Gininda has denied that he offered R3 million to accused two, Bongani Ntanzi, to implicate the "right people" in the murder of football star Senzo Meyiwa. (Anesh Debiky/Gallo Images/Getty Images)
Defence advocate Charles Mnisi, representing accused number three Mthobisi Mncube in the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial, told the Pretoria high court on Monday that the current state witness’s version of events was “hogwash” and never happened.
State witness constable Sizwe Zungu took the stand on 7 September and told the court that he was at a hostel in Vosloorus on 26 October 2014 to see his nephew when he met all five accused and drank alcohol with them hours before footballer Meyiwa was killed in what the state says was a botched robbery.
Zungu retook the stand on Tuesday when the murder trial resumed following a two-week break to allow the defence to view photographs downloaded from Mncube’s cell phone.
During Zungu’s cross-examination, Mnisi disputed that the state witness was with the accused on the day. He claims Zungu has fabricated this story.
“Your version about the hostel, that there was a jamboree or celebration where accused number three was, is just hogwash. It is nonsense. He was not there,” Mnisi said.
During his previous testimony, Zungu told the court that he and some of the accused drove in a Fiat Uno to buy alcohol. Mnisi disputed that the vehicle was a Fiat Uno, but rather a VW Polo.
In response, Zungu said the incident happened a long time ago and he was unsure which vehicle they had been in.
“On the day in question, the vehicle we were using was a smaller vehicle — I took it that it was an Uno. It could have been that it was a smaller VW or a smaller Polo. I did not have a close look at the vehicle, if you say it was not an Uno I agree with you,” Zungu said.
Defence advocate Zithulele Nxumalo, representing accused number four Mthokoziseni Maphisa, said his client did not know Zungu.
“I am instructed by accused number four that he does not know you from a bar of soap. He is not your acquaintance. He met you for the first time in court. And that he was not with accused two Bongani Ntanzi as he only met him for the first time when he appeared at the Boksburg magistrate’s court,” Nxumalo said.
Nxumalo also told Zungu that his client Maphisa had said he was friends with accused number three, Mncube.
Zungu responded: “I cannot dispute that; if they are friends, they are friends. Yes, you are friends brought together by one thing, they cannot be friends with me as I am a police officer and they are criminals, I cannot be friends with criminals.”
Mnisi objected and said Zungu’s statement was defamatory and pejorative.
Judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng called Zungu into order and said such language and character assassination was not allowed in his court.
The trial started from scratch on 7 July 2023, with Mokgoatlheng replacing the previous judge Tshifhiwa Maumela, who was suspended for misconduct after failing to deliver rulings in other cases within a reasonable period.
The five people on trial, Mncube, Maphisa, Fisokuhle Ntuli, Bongani Ntanzi, and Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya, have pleaded not guilty to charges of premeditated murder, attempted murder, armed robbery, illegal possession of a firearm and the illegal possession of ammunition.