By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The five men accused of murdering former Bafana Bafana and Orlando Pirates captain Senzo Meyiwa have again pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.
The trial,which has been ongoing for more than a year, got off to a bumpy start on Tuesday morning after one of defence lawyers was unavailable.
The trial is now being presided over by retired Judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng, who replaced Judge Tshifhiwa Maumela after he was suspended last month by President Cyril Ramaphosa for failing to deliver reserved judgments on time.
As if the delay in the trial was not enough, the judge also adjourned proceedings for 30 minutes in order for the defence lawyers to explain to their clients the charges preferred against them by the state before they could make their pleas.
When trial proceedings resumed around 12pm, state prosecutor advocate George Baloyi said all the pre-trial issues were dealt with on Monday afternoon during a pre-trial conference and the accused tendered in their not guilty pleas.
The trial is expected to continue for several months, with the state calling a number of witnesses, including the five witnesses who previously testified.
The defence lawyers are likely to challenge the state’s evidence and argue that their clients are innocent. It is not yet clear when the trial will reach a verdict given that it had to be restarted from the beginning.
Zandie Khumalo, the sister of singer Kelly Khumalo, has taken the stand as the state’s first witness in the restarted trial of the five men accused of murdering Meyiwa.
Zandie was the last witness to testify in the protracted trial before it had to start afresh following the suspension of Judge Maumela last month for failing to deliver reserved judgments on time.
On Tuesday, Zandie provided her testimony under the guidance of state prosecutor Advocate George Baloyi, recounting the events when the soccer star lost his life. The court has prohibited the broadcast of witness visuals but allows for audio recording.
Baloyi revealed that all witnesses present in the Khumalo household at the time of Meyiwa’s murder, including some of their neighbours, will be summoned to testify and present their version of events.
“They will give their evidence with the aid of photo albums depicting the scene where the incident occurred, in order to transport the court to the actual location.
“The state will also call the two photographers at a later stage. And secondly, we will present ballistic evidence, forensic field officers, and police officers who responded to the scene,” stated Baloyi.
Baloyi further added that an analyst will be summoned to conduct cell phone mapping, highlighting the communication between the accused.
“We will also call private persons to whom certain utterances were made by some of the accused. And lastly, there will be a trial within a trial to determine the admissibility of certain statements made by some of the accused persons,” he explained.
Muzikawukhulelwa Sthemba Sibiya, Bongani Sandiso Ntanzi, Mthobisi Prince Ncube, Mthokoziseni Ziphozonke Maphisa and Sifisokuhle Ntuli face a range of charges, including premeditated murder and attempted murder in connection with Meyiwa’s killing.
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Video Courtesy of ENCA.