State flags alleged whispering incident as Senzo Meyiwa trial witness recounts 2020 arrest

The State on Monday alerted the court that one of the accused in the Senzo Meyiwa trial had whispered the name “Mogane” to a witness, Sifiso “Gwabini” Zungu, as he took the stand, prompting judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng to raise concerns about possible interference with the witness.

The judge noted that this was not the first time allegations had surfaced of witnesses being pressured or warned during proceedings, adding that such conduct had become a recurring feature in the trial.

“Yes, it’s not the first time, if it’s true that people are told they will be cut through their necks and others when they are told by belligerent facial muscle warnings, they change their evidence. I’m used to it in this court,” Mokgoatlheng said.

Zungu was testifying about events surrounding his arrest in June 2020 and had struggled recalling the name of the official whom he said was driving the car he was placed in when he was arrested.

He told the court how the officials kicked his door open in the middle of the night and cuffed him while naked.

Zungu also alleged that one of the officials had slipped a gun under his mattress, later calling for a search of the room and taking out the gun.

He claimed that when he complained that he saw the official slip the gun, he was slapped on the face.

“They took the firearm. They had a shiny plastic. They took the firearm, placed it inside, and then they closed or sealed that plastic. They then took me with them,” he said.

He told the court he was only informed of his rights the following morning when charges were formally put to him at the police station, not at the house where he was arrested.

Zungu, known as Gwabini, also rejected state witness Skhumbuzo Zungu’s testimony, dismissing it as lies.

According to the testimony, Zungu held a gathering in his room at Basotho hostel in Vosloorus, where the murder of soccer star Senzo Meyiwa was allegedly planned by the accused, who on the day went out to commit the murder and later came back and celebrated before the news broke.

“He is lying,” he said, as defence lawyer Adv Charles Mnisi placed Zungu’s version of testimony.

In his evidence, Skhumbuzo Zungu placed all five accused in Vosloorus on October 26 2014, also pointing out some of them in pictures downloaded on Mncube’s phone that were taken on the day.

He claimed two of the accused were carrying firearms.

Skhumbuzo Zungu has testified that when he saw the identikit pictures that had been published in a newspaper after the murder, he remembered how one of the accused, Bongani Ntanzi, had been wearing a black hoodie, and he had changed it when he returned to the hostel that night.

Explaining the dreadlocked suspect, he said it didn’t click with him much, as the pictures showed unplaited dreadlocks, and another of the accused, Mthobisi Prince Mncube, had plaited dreadlocks at the time.

Skhumbuzo said he realised the value of what he had witnessed only in 2018, two years after the murder.

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