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)
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.
During proceedings this week, the Pretoria high court heard testimony from Gininda that Meyiwa’s murder was a contract killing and not a robbery gone wrong as the state had previously asserted.
Gininda, who was back in the witness box on Thursday, was shocked by the suggestion that he had offered a bribe to the suspects in exchange for confessions.
“It’s the first time I’m hearing this. It’s not true. It’s a lie. There is no budget I have for that. Even if it was available, why would I do it? I didn’t meet him [Ntanzi] on the 21st and there was no such budget,” Gininda told defence advocate Thulani Mngomezulu under cross-examination.
Ntanzi has accused police officials of torturing him into confessing.
“The accused cooperated with me on the 18th and told me he was willing to make a statement voluntarily. On the 19th in the morning, he made the confession,” said Gininda.
The five men on trial are accused of killing Meyiwa at the family home of his lover, singer Kelly Khumalo in Vosloorus, in October 2014.
They have all pleaded not guilty to charges of premeditated murder, attempted murder, armed robbery, illegal possession of a firearm and the illegal possession of ammunition.
In the “trial within a trial”, the defence is challenging the admissibility of the confessions allegedly made by Ntanzi and accused number one, Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya, after they were arrested in October 2020.
On Wednesday, Gininda read an affidavit in court in which Sibiya accused Khumalo of ordering a hit on the Bafana Bafana captain.
This was despite the state requesting that the court discard parts of Gininda’s affidavit, arguing that “it will be unfair for any individual to hear their name in court without being given an opportunity to represent themselves”.
Four cell phone numbers linked Khumalo to some of the accused, according to Gininda.
Court proceedings will resume on Friday.