Senzo Meyiwa: State accused of deliberately omitting vehicle tracking evidence
The defence claims that police made multiple stops while escorting the second accused, Bongani Ntanzi, where they assaulted him to coerce him to sign confession statements.
Advocate Thulani Mngomezulu, the lawyer for murder accused Bongani Ntanzi, during cross-examination of a witness in the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial on 22 November 2023.
JOHANNESBURG - The defence in the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial has accused the State of deliberately omitting vehicle tracking evidence in the trial within a trial.
The court is hearing testimony to determine the admissibility of confession statements by two of the accused.
The defence claims that police made multiple stops while escorting the second accused, Bongani Ntanzi, where they assaulted him to coerce him to sign confession statements.
They also claim Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya was also assaulted on the day of his arrest until he soiled himself and that’s why he signed a confession on the very same day in May 2020.
The State has pointed out how Ntanzi’s initial version was that he was assaulted by police on 19 June at several stops before he was taken to the Moroka Police Station to sign a confession statement.
But Ntanzi’s lawyer, Advocate Thulani Mngomezulu, now says the assault started on the 18th and he has accused the State of trying to cover this up.
"Firstly, I would like to address the court in relation to the aspect of the 18th, which I submit it was deliberately omitted by the State by not leading the evidence of the AVL as from the 18th."
The court still has evidence on hold from the vehicle tracking expert, Michael du Preez, whose company installs the tracking AVL system in police cars.
He’s been asked to prepare a detailed report with the precise stops that police made while escorting Ntanzi.