Africa-Press – South-Africa. The five men charged with the murder of Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa have pleaded not guilty on charges of murder, attempted murder, robbery and illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya, Bongani Ntanzi, Mthobisi Mncube, Mthokoziseni Maphisa and Sifiso Ntuli pleaded in the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on Friday.
Senzo Meyiwa: Four of the accused want to bring special plea for being ‘wrongfully accused’
The football star was gunned down at the Vosloorus home of his girlfriend, singer Kelly Khumalo, in October 2014. The case went cold, but the five men were arrested in 2020.
Before the men pleaded to the charges, Mncube’s lawyer told the court his client would die if he was not moved from Kgosi Mampuru prison in Pretoria.
Advocate Malesela Teffo told the court that if Mncube was not moved to another prison, he would be “six feet under” following an assault by a prison official. Teffo is representing four of the accused in the matter.
Teffo said his client had been tortured since being moved from Johannesburg Prison to Kgosi Mampuru prison.
The State previously told the court that correctional services had moved Mncube for security reasons.
“Accused two explained to me that accused three was assaulted by a correctional services officer. The incident started on the morning of the 12th. This particular officer was not wearing a name tag but if there is an identity parade, I could point him out, but I realised that he is not here today,” said Teffo.
He added:
Teffo also said that he had been denied access to his client after arriving at court.
“I approached accused three to consult but I was told I cannot consult in court, and that if I want to consult, I must come to the prison. We tried to persuade him to show him that the conduct violated my client’s constitutional rights,” said Teffo.
This is not the first time that allegations of assault have been levelled against correctional services officials by accused in the case.
Teffo asked the judge to order that his client be moved back to Johannesburg Prison.
Prosecutor George Baloyi told the court that the matter had been brought to the attention of prison officials and that cases had been opened and were being investigated.
Judge Tshifhiwa Maumela said that although allegations of assault were very serious, he could not rule on the cases because they were being investigated and were not before him.
The trial continues.
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