Defence advocate Thulani Mngomezulu told the court on Wednesday that the evidence from the investigators of the Senzo Meyiwa murder was far from the truth and the accused did not kill the footballer.
Mngomezulu stressed that the evidence he had showed that Meyiwa was shot while trying to end a fight between Zandile Khumalo (sister to Meyiwa’s girlfriend, Kelly Khumalo) and Longwe Thwala.
Khumalo, who was in the Khumalo house when Meyiwa was shot on 26 October 2014, in Vosloorus, Gauteng, took the stand as the state’s first witness and said two intruders entered the house and Meyiwa was shot by one of them.
Mngomezulu added that he would call a witness who would tell the court that he received a call from Tumelo Madlala, a close friend of Meyiwa who was among the people in the house, and was told that it was Longwe who shot Meyiwa.
“When Longwe came to Kelly’s house he was drunk and in possession of a .38 special revolver. There were three shots fired and three people were injured. Senzo was shot dead, Longwe shot himself in his ankle and the other [shot] was fired on the floor and as a result Zandi was injured,” said Mngomezulu.
During his cross-examining of one of the investigators, Sergeant Batho Mogola, he said: “They all [the investigators, together with Brigadier Bongani Gininda] cooked this evidence. Everything is a cover-up here. They know who they are protecting.”
Mogola returned to the stand on Friday after she had testified during the trial-within-a-trial and told the court that she was the arresting officer of accused one, Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya.
In response, Mogolo said the advocate was insulting her.
“We are not bored to cook [up a story] and present it to the court of law and that would mean that South Africa is something else when it comes to justice and that’s why we are here in court for the evidence to be tried. It is not for you to say that the evidence is cooked,” Mogola said.
Mngomezulu questioned why Mogola had not taken statements from the people who were in the house and also from the family of the deceased.
“When you assumed your duties in 2018 in this case, did you approach the Meyiwa family for a statement? Did you ever obtain a statement from Sifiso Meyiwa [Senzo’s brother], from Mandisa Mkhize [Meyiwa’s wife] and did you obtain a statement from Mr Hlophe [brother-in-law],” asked Mngomezulu.
Mogolo said she did not know whether Gininda had taken statements, but she had not done so.
“There is no way you could not know that Brigadier Gininda interviewed the Meyiwa family. I want to put something to you about these investigations. I want to demonstrate to this court that the investigation you conducted is far away from the truth of what happened,” Mngomezulu said.
He said Meyiwa’s brother, Sifiso, cannot be a witness for the state.
“I just want to ascertain with my colleague whether he wants to use Sifiso Meyiwa for the case,” Mngomezulu said.
State prosecutor George Baloyi said Sifiso Meyiwa is on the list of state witnesses and would give evidence on the identification of the deceased.
Bongani Ntanzi, Sibiya, Mthobisi Mncube, Mthokozisi Maphisa 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.
Defence advocate Thulani Mngomezulu said investigators brought cooked evidence to the court
