A TV interview done by singer Zandile Khumalo on the murder of soccer star Senzo Meyiwa took centre-stage during the third day of the trial.
Defence attorney for accused 1 and 2 (Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya and Bongani Ntanzi, respectively), Sipho Ramosepele, requested for the eNCA interview to be played at the Pretoria high court.
During the interview, Khumalo can be heard telling the interviewer that she had not attended an identity parade of any of the accused.
However, before the interview was played, Khumalo said she had attended an identity parade but could not identify anyone because the people she was meant to identify were wearing masks.
“Miss Khumalo...the part where you said you could not identify them because they had masks on. When you say they were wearing masks, who are you referring to?” Ramosepele asked.
“When I said so, I was referring to the accused,” said Khumalo.
Ramosepele probed further on which accused she was specifically referring to.
“Remember that during that time, it was the time of the pandemic so everyone who came in was covering their face,” she responded.
Ramosepele then asked whether this happened when Sibiya and Ntanzi appeared in court, to which Khumalo responded "yes".
Ramosepele then read out his version of defence on the record, by stating how his clients were arrested.
He said his clients were both tortured for days from May 30 2020 when they were arrested.
“This process of him [Sibiya] being tortured and assaulted continued from May 30 until he confessed. On June 6, that’s when the torturing stopped,” he said.
Judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng asked Ramosepele to clarify what he meant by a confession.
“Let me paraphrase my Lord. He was forced to sign a statement implicating himself in the commission of this offence,” Ramosepele paraphrased before explaining how more lenient the police were with his client after he had signed the statement.
Ramosepele said Ntanzi experienced the same torture and was also forced to sign a statement that implicated him in Meyiwa’s murder.
Meyiwa was shot and killed in October 2014. He was in the presence of his then-girlfriend Kelly Khumalo, her mother Ntombi, Zandi, Zandi’s boyfriend Longwe Twala and Senzo’s friends Mthokozisi Thwala and Tumelo Madlala.
The other accused are Fisokuhle Ntuli, Mthobisi Prince Mncube and Mthokoziseni Maphisa.
The trial continues.
Khumalo grilled over her interview with TV channel
'Did you attend Meyiwa trialists' ID parade or not?'
Image: Antonio Muchave
A TV interview done by singer Zandile Khumalo on the murder of soccer star Senzo Meyiwa took centre-stage during the third day of the trial.
Defence attorney for accused 1 and 2 (Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya and Bongani Ntanzi, respectively), Sipho Ramosepele, requested for the eNCA interview to be played at the Pretoria high court.
During the interview, Khumalo can be heard telling the interviewer that she had not attended an identity parade of any of the accused.
However, before the interview was played, Khumalo said she had attended an identity parade but could not identify anyone because the people she was meant to identify were wearing masks.
“Miss Khumalo...the part where you said you could not identify them because they had masks on. When you say they were wearing masks, who are you referring to?” Ramosepele asked.
“When I said so, I was referring to the accused,” said Khumalo.
Ramosepele probed further on which accused she was specifically referring to.
“Remember that during that time, it was the time of the pandemic so everyone who came in was covering their face,” she responded.
Ramosepele then asked whether this happened when Sibiya and Ntanzi appeared in court, to which Khumalo responded "yes".
Ramosepele then read out his version of defence on the record, by stating how his clients were arrested.
He said his clients were both tortured for days from May 30 2020 when they were arrested.
“This process of him [Sibiya] being tortured and assaulted continued from May 30 until he confessed. On June 6, that’s when the torturing stopped,” he said.
Judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng asked Ramosepele to clarify what he meant by a confession.
“Let me paraphrase my Lord. He was forced to sign a statement implicating himself in the commission of this offence,” Ramosepele paraphrased before explaining how more lenient the police were with his client after he had signed the statement.
Ramosepele said Ntanzi experienced the same torture and was also forced to sign a statement that implicated him in Meyiwa’s murder.
Meyiwa was shot and killed in October 2014. He was in the presence of his then-girlfriend Kelly Khumalo, her mother Ntombi, Zandi, Zandi’s boyfriend Longwe Twala and Senzo’s friends Mthokozisi Thwala and Tumelo Madlala.
The other accused are Fisokuhle Ntuli, Mthobisi Prince Mncube and Mthokoziseni Maphisa.
The trial continues.
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Zandile Khumalo tells court when she first saw accused in Meyiwa trial
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