By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The High Court in Pretoria continued to hear evidence from lead investigator in the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial, Brigadier Bongani Gininda.
Meyiwa was shot and killed at the house of the mother of his then girlfriend Kelly Khumalo, in Vosloorus, on the East Rand, on October 26, 2014.
The people who were present in the house during the murder were Kelly, her sister Zandile, their mother Gladness, Meyiwa, Zandile’s then boyfriend Longwe Twala, and Meyiwa’s close friends Tumelo Madlala and Mthokozisi Twala.
During the proceedings, Nxumalo claimed that the two accused, Mthobisi Mncube and Mthokoziseni Maphisa were close friends and they knew each other very well.
“My client instructs me that he knew accused number three Mncube, he was his best friend. They knew each other, very well. He further instructs me that accused number five, Fisokuhle Ntuli, was his acquaintance. That he met him on the day Meyiwa was murdered,” said Nxumalo.
Gininda responded that he does not disagree with the accused’s statement.
“This is his version, on the 26 of October 2014, that is the morning of the day Maphisa met Mncube in Johannesburg CBD. And they travelled in a white mini-bus kombi which is owned by Zenzele Mchunu going to Katlehong. Mchunu was the driver of this vehicle.
“But before that, they had gone to Ultra City liquors in Malvern where they bought liquor to the amount of R158. That is contained in his bank statement which was handed in. And he bought airtime that amounted to R40,” he added.
Gininda said he agrees that there was a statement they discovered through their investigation.
“In the afternoon of that day, the two accused (Mncube and Maphisa) were joined by accused number five Ntuli. They met in the kombi and they later drove to drop off my client,” Nxumalo continued.
“This kombi then travelled to where Maphisa resided in Malvern, and he was dropped off there after 6pm. And he further instructed me that after he was dropped off, he never met accused three and five. He says he was not at the crime scene.”
Gininda said that was not correct.
“The evidence indicates that they all met at Basotho hostel before the incident. And they headed to where the deceased was. He was killed and they went back to the hostel. They were given money before they departed,” said Gininda.
Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya, Bongani Ntanzi, Mncube, Maphisa, and Fisokuhle Ntuli are standing trial for the murder of the late football star.
They have all pleaded not guilty to all charges.
They face charges of murder, attempted murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, possession of an unlicenced firearm, and possession of ammunition.