Meyiwa trial: Court to rule on admissibility of accused's confession statements
The defence earlier in the week wrapped up its arguments against the admissibility of two of the accused’s confession statements, which the State insisted was done freely and voluntarily.
The Senzo Meyiwa murder trial continued in the Pretoria High Court on 1 August 2023. Picture: Nokukhanya Mntambo/Eyewitness News
JOHANNESBURG - The Pretoria High Court will on Thursday morning hand down a ruling on the admissibility of confession statements by two of the men accused of murdering Senzo Meyiwa.
The defence wrapped up its closing arguments earlier in the week.
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The State insisted the confessions were made freely and voluntarily, a requirement by law.
However, Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya and Bongani Ntanzi claimed they were assaulted and forced by police to sign already-prepared statements.
It is almost a decade since the Bafana Bafana captain was shot at the home of his girlfriend, singer Kelly Khumalo, in what police believe was a hit.
It has been five months of twists and turns, delays and stalling in the Pretoria High Court, where evidence was heard on the admissibility of the signed confession statements.
Police also alleged Sibiya voluntarily pointed out the scene of Meyiwa’s murder in Vosloorus, and the State wanted the material linked to that exercise to also be included in the evidence.
But Sibiya denied this, saying after being beaten, police drove him to a place he did not know, and told him what to point out.
Judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng is expected to deliver a brief verdict. This comes after he told the court that would not be reading a fully-fledged judgment but would simply give his ruling, after which the main trial will continue.