The five men accused of killing Senzo Meyiwa, Muzikawukhulelwa Sthemba Sibiya, Bongani Sandiso Ntanzi, Mthobisi Prince Ncube, Mthokoziseni Ziphozonke Maphisa, and Fisokuhle Nkani Ntuli appear in the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria. Picture: Oupa Mokoena Independent Newspapers
A DISPUTE over a cellphone number allegedly belonging to one of the five men on trial for the murder of Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa, has stalled proceedings in the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria.
As the murder trial of Meyiwa resumed in the high court, defence counsels requested the proceedings be postponed to afford them time to go through documents supplied to them by the State on Monday.
Advocate Thulani Mngomezulu told the court that given how counsels had just received the requested documentation, they required time to thoroughly go through them and consult with the accused.
The setback came after defence counsels on Friday requested further documentation from State witness and cellphone data analyst, Colonel Gideon Gouws.
The defence had argued that it was not been provided with comprehensive access to the information sought, despite the State’s assertion that they had already been furnished with Section 205 applications, which enabled them access to the accused’s cellphone data.
Advocate Sipho Ramosepele added that he had picked up another issue from the voluminous documents supplied, pertaining to a number alleged to belong to second accused, Bongani Sandiso Ntanzi.
According to Ramosepele, upon consultation they would require the RICA information, and further information on the number said to belong to Ntanzi as it appeared the number belonged to someone else.
“It seems this number belongs to a different person and she confirms that she has been using this number for a long time but the State has attributed it to the second accused,” he said.
Judge Ratha Mokgoaltheng requested this be looked into by the State.
State Prosecutor George Baloyi explained to the court that the State had provided the counsels with the information, however, they had sought the entire document as well as founding affidavits which were still being collected.
The matter was postponed to Tuesday, with the defence counsels to determine how much time they would require before they could proceed with Gouw’s cross-examination.
Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya, Bongani Ntanzi, Mthobisi Mncube, Mthokoziseni Maphisa, and Fisokuhle Ntuli, are on trial for the October 2014 murder of Meyiwa at his then girlfriend Kelly Khumalo’s home in Vosloorus.
All five men have pleaded not guilty, with some of the accused alleging they were tortured and coerced by the investigative team to detail their involvement in the soccer player’s murder.
The Star
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