The five men accused of South African soccer star Senzo Meyiwa's murder appear in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria. From left to right: Muzikawukhulelwa Sthemba Sibiya, Bongani Sandiso Ntanzi, Mthobisi Prince Ncube, Mthokoziseni Ziphozonke Maphisa, and Fisokuhle Nkani Ntuli. Picture: Oupa Mokoena / Independent Newspapers
The Ekurhuleni Metro Police (EMPD) Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) officers who transported the accused between police stations, confessions, and court, have denied assaulting or torturing the Senzo Meyiwa murder-accused.
There is currently a trial-within-a-trial at the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria to determine if the alleged confessions made by Bongani Ntanzi and Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya were taken freely and voluntarily.
Defence advocates have told the court their clients were assaulted, tortured, and tubed in a bid to force confessions out of them. Tubing is an apartheid-era tactic that involves the accused being suffocated with a plastic bag, causing asphyxiation.
Constable Wendel Jonathan, who was attached to the now disbanded EMPD SWAT unit, which was used by Brigadier Bongani Gininda to escort the Senzo Meyiwa murder-accused, told the court they never once assaulted the accused.
Jonathan transported Ntanzi to Magistrate Vivienne Cronje and Lieutenant Colonel Mohale Raphadu, while he transported Sibiya to Lieutenant Colonel James Hadebe in Alberton. They gave confession and pointing out statements.
Regarding Ntanzi's confession before Magistrate Cronje, he testified that he took him inside the Boksburg Magistrate's Court, where they found a man wearing a suit. He did not know who the man was.
The defence has denied that there was a lawyer by the name of Dominic Mjiyako present when Ntanzi made his second confession before Magistrate Cronje.
Jonathan also testified that he was one of the EMPD SWAT officers who was requested by Cronje to hand over appointment certificates.
Regarding Ntanzi's escort on June 19, he testified that they delivered Ntanzi to Raphadu around 11am and left the Moroka police station at about 12pm.
He said they delivered him to a Sergeant Mogane at the Vosloorus court at about 1pm and their escort duty had been completed at that point.
He said Ntanzi had no visible injuries.
Under cross-examination by defence advocate Thulani Mngomezulu, he denied being part of the team that arrested Sibiya or Ntanzi.
Mngomezulu also requested copies of Jonathan’s pocketbook, where he testified he had recorded all the movements and mileage during his escorting of Ntanzi and Sibiya.
Jonathan told the court he no longer had the pocketbook as the EMPD SWAT unit was disbanded in 2022 and he did not know if the records were still available.
“So the office we were utilising was no more in use. I don't know if the records were kept or what happened to them,” Jonathan told the court.
Mngomezulu complained he was ill, and the trial has been adjourned until Monday.
Gininda is also expected to testify in the trial-within-a-trial next week.
The trial resumes on Monday.
IOL