By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Senzo Meyiwa trial resumed at the Pretoria High Court on Monday, but came to a halt after the defence requested additional documents related to state witness Gideon Gouws’ testimony.
Gouws was set to return to the stand following an early adjournment on Friday. Instead, the defence pressed for more documentation pertaining to his testimony.
The defence argued that it had not been provided with comprehensive access to the information it sought, despite the state’s assertion that it had already been furnished with Section 205 applications, which enable access to the accused’s cellphone data.
The crux of the issue came from the defence’s request for more information concerning specific numbers, which were previously presented as evidence.
While the state maintained that it had already provided the necessary information, the defence countered, stating that it required more details.
The impasse led to the trial’s postponement, with the defence informing judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng, that it could not continue without the requested documentation.
The proceedings were adjourned with the expectation that the defence would clarify the timeframes needed to review the information before the trial could resume on Wednesday.
Meyiwa was shot dead in Vosloorus on the evening of October 26 2014. The footballer and his girlfriend at the time, singer Kelly Khumalo, had been spending Sunday at her mother Ntombi’s home with family and friends when they were accosted by two intruders.
The case went unsolved until it was taken over by the cold case unit led by senior investigator Brig Bongani Gininda in 2018. This led to the arrest of five suspects in 2020.
Five men – Muzi Sibiya, Bongani Sandiso Ntanzi, Mthobisi Prince Mncube, Mthokoziseni Ziphozonke Maphisa, and Fisokuhle Nkani Ntuli, are standing trial and all pleaded not guilty.