Accused in Senzo Meyiwa murder trial under tighter restraint after court scuffle
A physical fight broke out on Monday over the casual way that the accused were seated during the tea adjournment.
Two of the five men accused of killing Senzo Meyiwa in the Pretoria High Court on 28 November 2023 ahead of the start of trial proceedings for the day.
JOHANNESBURG - The accused in the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial appeared in the Pretoria High Court under tighter restraint on Tuesday following a scuffle with prison warders.
A physical fight broke out on Monday over the casual way that the accused were seated during the tea adjournment.
While Judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng admonished the accused on Monday, he did not make a formal finding on the incident.
The court is hearing a trial within a trial on the admissibility of confession statements by two of the five men accused of the footballer’s murder.
READ: Meyiwa trial: judge draws parallels between courtroom scuffle & conduct of MPs
The second accused, Bongani Ntanzi, is not usually handcuffed when he comes to court as he is the only prisoner among the accused who is not serving a sentence.
On Tuesday, however, he was clearly cuffed and his hands were only freed when he was in the dock.
His lawyer, Advocate Thulani Mngomezulu, flagged this with the court.
The other accused, Mthobisi Mncube and Fisokuhle Ntuli, were also cuffed, which they complained about.
Showing a hand dressed with a bandage, Mncube addressed the court about his discomfort and his inability to concentrate as he sat in the dock with chains.
But Judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng said he had no authority to rule over how inmates were cuffed, saying counsel for the accused should raise these concerns with the relevant Correctional Services officials.