Meyiwa trial: ‘Accused was coerced into making confession’
Defence advocate Zandile Mshololo alleged in the Senzo Meyiwa trial at the Pretoria high court on Monday that state witness Constable Wendell Jonathan remained at a police station to frighten one of the accused men and make sure he did what he was instructed to do.
Jonathan, a metro police officer in the Ekurhuleni region, took the stand last Friday and told the court he was part of the team called to escort Bongani Ntanzi to the Moroka police station on 19 June 2020 to make a confession about Meyiwa’s 26 October 2014 murder.
Ntanzi is one of five men accused of killing the Bafana Bafana captain at the home of his girlfriend Kelly Khumalo in Vosloorus, Gauteng.
Cross-examining Jonathan on Monday, Mshololo suggested Jonathan and his colleagues had been heavily armed in order to intimidate Ntanzi.
“That manner in which you were armed induced force to the accused and the reason you were so armed in the Moroka police station was to induce force and fear to comply with what police wanted,” she said.
During cross-examination by defence advocate Thulani Mngomezulu, representing Ntanzi and Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya, Jonathan denied being present when Ntanzi was allegedly assaulted.
Mngomezulu put it to Jonathan that he was part of a group of police officers who had assaulted Ntanzi and forced him to sign the confession.
“You took off one handcuff and put it on the pole, then he was poured with water from the front of his body. That is when [officer Bongani] Gininda told the accused that he must tell the truth about the death of Senzo Meyiwa,” Mngomezulu said.
“I have no knowledge — the first time I saw him was at Moroka police station,” Jonathan said.
“There was a device that was used to electrocute the accused and he was electrocuted from his stomach. You, Mr Mabena and [Colonel Joyce] Buthelezi were taking turns on the use of this device,” said Mngomezulu, prompting another denial from Jonathan.
Mngomezulu told the court that Ntanzi started bleeding and Sergeant Vusimuzi Mogane said: “Yekelani die man [Leave this man].”
“He was wet and bleeding and was put back into the car. The Toyota Fortuner stopped at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital,” Mngomezulu said.
“I have no knowledge of that and the accused never got into our cars,” Jonathan responded.
The five men on trial for Meyiwa’s murder have pleaded not guilty to charges of premeditated murder, attempted murder, armed robbery, illegal possession of a firearm and the illegal possession of ammunition.
The post Meyiwa trial: ‘Accused was coerced into making confession’ appeared first on The Mail & Guardian.