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)
A defence lawyer in the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial, Thulani Mngomezulu, told the Pretoria high court on Monday that accused number two, Bongani Ntanzi, was lured into giving his address when he was called and offered a job by a police officer a week before his arrest.
Mngomezulu, who is representing Ntanzi and accused one, Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya, said this while cross-examining state witness Sergeant Vusimuzi Mogane.
Mngomezulu said Ntanzi was called from a landline in Pretoria a week before his arrest. The person who called him introduced herself as Sergeant Batho Mogola and offered him employment.
“Accused number two responded by saying ‘I am working. I am not looking for employment,’” said Mngomezulu.
He added that the woman said to Ntanzi, “We are looking for you. We want your address.”
Mogane disputed this assertion and said Mogola would have informed him if she had phoned the accused.
Mogane, who is attached to the National Cold Case Unit, first took the stand last Thursday, telling the court that in December 2019, the unit was told by an informant that Ntanzi had been involved in the murder of the soccer star, who was shot dead on 26 October 2014.
Ntanzi and Sibiya are among the five men accused of killing Meyiwa at the home of his girlfriend, Kelly Khumalo, in Vosloorus, Gauteng.
Mngomezulu on Monday also focused on an interview which took place for three hours after Ntanzi’s arrest. Mogane said the interview was conducted by himself, Mogola and Brigadier Bongane Gininda. He said it was about all the cases Ntanzi had been involved in, including the death of Meyiwa.
“Do you agree that the day of the death of Senzo Meyiwa and when you arrested the accused two was six years [apart] already? So if you asked him where he was on that day, were you expecting a vivid answer from accused two?” Mngomezulu asked Mogane.
Mogane replied: “He was supposed to remember because when we asked him, he did know when Senzo Meyiwa was killed. It was in the news; he was bound to know it.”
Mngomezulu said Ntanzi had told him that during that interview, Gininda instructed him to strip off his shirt to check whether he had tattoos. Mogane disputed this, saying: “Brigadier Gininda is an experienced policeman; he would never do that.”
Mngomezulu further stated that Mogane spent more than 17 hours with Ntanzi.
“You took him at 08:30 on 18 June and brought him back the next day at 2:30 in the early hours of the morning. During these ungodly hours, what were you doing with the accused two?” the defence lawyer asked.
Mogane said they had gone to the mine where Ntanzi worked.
All five accused have pleaded not guilty to charges of premeditated murder, attempted murder, armed robbery, illegal possession of a firearm and the illegal possession of ammunition.