By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The defence in the Senzo Meyiwa trial pointed out mistakes in the paperwork of a police officer to cast doubt on his experience.
Lieutenant-Colonel Nkosikhona Hadebe was testifying on a pointing-out exercise that he carried out with one of the men accused of the football star’s murder, Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya.
Sibiya allegedly made a confession statement on his involvement in the crime, which the State wanted to be admitted as evidence.
He is among five men accused of the football star’s murder at the home of his girlfriend in October 2014.
The defence questioned the expertise and experience of Hadebe, with Advocate Charles Mnisi saying he was in his infancy stage regarding pointing out, as the Meyiwa matter was only his fourth.
Lawyer for the first two accused, Advocate Thulani Mngomezulu, pointed out the inaccuracies in the pro forma statement completed by Hadebe, including the incorrect date, which Hadebe said was human error.
“It’s not a human error – it is not in the form. I worked according to the form.”
Hadebe and Sergeant Matsobane Maphakela, the photographer who took pictures of the suspect on the day of the pointings out, have concluded giving evidence in court.
Leiutenant-Colonel Mohalo Raphadu took the witness stand.
Raphadu said, “He took down the other confession statement by accused 2, Bongani Ntanzi, at the Moroka Police Station in Soweto, which once again the state has contested as having been taking following the suspect’s torture.
He told the court the investigating officer called him to take down Ntanzi’s alleged confession at the Moroka police station in June 2020.
This is the second confession statement by Ntanzi the court is hearing of during the trial within a trial following the conclusion of Magistrate Vivian Cronje’s evidence in which she told the court about the submission she took down from Ntanzi at the Boksburg Magistrate’s Court on the 24 of June 2020, eight days following his arrest.
Raphadu said Ntanzi was read his rights and thereafter insisted that he did not need a lawyer.
“I asked him further what he wanted to do. He said he is willing to proceed in making a statement without any legal representative. I further asked him if he was assaulted, and he said that he was not.”
Their defence teams are challenging the admissibility of Ntanzi and co-accused Sibiya’s confession in a trial-within-a-trial.]
They are part of a group of five men accused of gunning down Meyiwa in 2024.
Advocate Thulani Mngomezulu, who represents both Sibiya and Ntanzi, told the court his clients were coerced into making the alleged confession.
“The document is being challenged as Ntanzi claims that he was assaulted in administering the confession.”
Raphadu will continue with his testimony on Thursday when the defence is expected to cross-examine him.
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Video Courtesy of SABC.