Bongani Ntanzi, Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya, Mthobisi Ncube, Mthokoziseni Maphisa (hidden from view) and Fisokuhle Ntuli in the dock on Friday for the murder of Senzo Meyiwa.
- The Senzo Meyiwa murder trial has been postponed to 14 November.
- Cross-examination of State witness Tumelo Madlala will continue when the trial resumes.
- The proceedings on Friday began with an apology from defence lawyer TT Thobane for shouting at Madlala on Thursday.
One of the defence lawyers in the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial has apologised for shouting at a witness.
This follows tension on Thursday between TT Thobane, the lawyer representing four of the accused, and Meyiwa’s friend, Tumelo Madlala – a State witness who was in the Vosloorus house the night the Orlando Pirates and Bafana Bafana goalkeeper was shot dead.
It all started during cross-examination on Thursday when Thobane accused Madlala of turning his answers into essays. When Madlala interrupted him, Thobane asked him to “behave”.
At one stage, Thobane raised his voice and said, “Is it clear?” to which Madlala responded: “Don’t shout at me. Don’t shout at me. Don’t shout at me.”
Judge Tshifhiwa Maumela took off his glasses and asked with a smile: “Mr Thobane, what are you starting now?”
Thobane responded:
Your lordship, the witness, is interrupting while I’m asking questions, and it’s not good behaviour because there is an interpreter who must interpret.
The judge said to Thobane: “Yesterday you interrupted me. I never shouted at you. He is saying, ‘Don’t shout at me.’ Can we adhere to that? He is not right to interrupt, but you cannot shout at him.”
Before the trial started on Friday, Thobane apologised to Madlala and said he didn’t mean to shout, and that he merely wanted to assert his authority.
However, he also said he didn’t like that Madlala had pointed a finger at him and added that he had taken that as a threat.
Madlala apologised for pointing his finger at Thobane.
After the apologies, the cross-examination continued.
Madlala was questioned on the description of the firearm that was used as well as hat and a crutch that were left at the crime scene.
Madlala previously testified that the crutch was his and that he had an injured toe.
However, on Friday, Thobane said the hat belonged to Madlala as well – which he denied.
It is alleged that the hat belongs to the person who shot Meyiwa.
Bongani Ntanzi, Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya, Mthobisi Ncube, Mthokoziseni Maphisa and Fisokuhle Ntuli are on trial for the murder of the soccer star at Kelly Khumalo’s mother’s Vosloorus home on 26 October 2014. All of them are in custody.
Madlala has since identified Ntanzi as one of the intruders who were at the house that night.
Ntazi will be back in court on 22 September to apply for bail.
The rest of the accused will be back in court on 14 November for the continuation of Madlala’s cross examination.
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