One of the defence lawyers in the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial stuck to his guns that there was no robbery on October 26 2014 at the Vosloorus home of Kelly Khumalo when the soccer star was shot.

Adv Sipho Ramosepele, for two of the accused — Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya and Bongani Sandiso Ntanzi — also told the Pretoria high court on Monday both his clients still denied ever being in that house on the night of the murder.

Ramosepele said this during the cross-examination of Meyiwa’s friend Mthokosizi Thwala, who has been on the witness box since Monday last week.

Meyiwa was gunned down in what was described as a botched robbery in the presence of his then-girlfriend Kelly Khumalo, her mother Ntombi, sister Zandi, Zandi’s boyfriend Longwe Twala and Senzo’s friends Mthokozisi Thwala and Tumelo Madlala.

Sibiya, Ntanzi, Mthobisi Prince Mncube, Mthokoziseni Maphisa and Sifisokuhle Nkani Ntuli are standing trial for the murder of the footballer. They have been charged with premeditated murder, attempted murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, possession of firearms without a licence and possession of ammunition. All have pleaded not guilty.

Meyiwa’s sister Nomalanga was present in court after a long absence.

Ramosepele said Sibiya’s version was that he was arrested at his place of residence in Thembisa on May 29 2020.

“After his arrest, he was taken to some government building in Thembisa, and he was badly brutalised, assaulted, tortured with a plastic bag over his head with police pepper spray, sprayed in the bag and the bag held tightly against his neck so that he cannot breathe,” Ramosepele said.

Thwala said he was also assaulted.

Ramosepele applauded Thwala for opening up about the assault and torture by police.

“I applaud you for having exposed this because us defence lawyers, day in and day out, we go into court and say our clients were beaten and we are told that’s a lie.”

Ramosepele said Sibiya will testify that he was, over a number of days, moved and hidden from one police station to another while he was beaten until a confession was extracted from him.

“And only once he admitted those confessions, pointing out they took him to his family who hadn't seen him since May 29 2020. They specifically drove him to his homestead in KwaZulu-Natal to see his family,” Ramosepele said.

He said Sibiya would deny that he was involved in the murder or the plot to kill the deceased, and that he did not know the house where the incident took place.

Regarding Ntanzi, Ramosepele said he was arrested on June 16 2020 at his place of work in Rustenburg.

Ramosepele said Ntanti was also assaulted until he signed a confession.

According to Ramosepele, Ntanzi will state that he is familiar with Sibiya because they come from neighbouring villages and does not know the other accused. Ntanzi also denies he was in Gauteng the day Meyiwa was killed.

Ramosepele said Ntanzi was in KwaZulu-Natal preparing two rituals.

“He had a deceased child that they were doing a ritual for and was preparing lobola for the wife,” he said.

During his testimony, Meyiwa’s other best friend, Tumelo Madlala, pointed out Ntanzi as one of the intruders who entered the house that night. Madlala said Meyiwa pinned Ntanzi against the wall before he was fatally wounded.

The trial continues on Tuesday.

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