“Yekeleni die man” loosely translated “Leave this man” – that’s what according to defence counsel for accused 1 and 2 in the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial, one of the police officers present when accused 1, Bongani Ntanzi, was assaulted, said to the other officers.
This as Advocate Thulani Mngomezulu once again painted a picture of torture and coercion before Ntanzi signed a confession statement.
Mngomezulu has put it to the witness that the first time he met accused 2, Bongani Ntanzi, was at a garage where they started torturing him in the company of Constable Mogane and Mabena.
Jonathan: I was never at a garage with the accused or Sergeant Mogano.#SABCNews #SenzoMeyiwa
— Sipho King K Kekana (@KingKAzania) October 30, 2023
The high court in Pretoria is hearing arguments on the admissibility of confession statements by the first two accused, pointings-out by accused 1, as well as the warning statements by accused 3, 4, and 5.
Matters resumed this morning with Advocate Mngomezulu putting to the witness, Constable Wendell Jonathan, that he was part of a group of police officers who assaulted Ntanzi and forced him to sign.
Mngomezulu: You took the accused towards the stairs,where there was a steel post and you removed one handcuff from one of his hands and you attached it to the pole
Jonathan: I have no knowledge of that.
Mngomezulu says Brig Bongani Gininda was present. #SABCNews #SenzoMeyiwa
— Sipho King K Kekana (@KingKAzania) October 30, 2023
Mngomezulu says at one stage, the officer took turns in using a device they had to electrocute the accused.
“There was a device that was used to electrocute the accused and he was electrocuted from his stomach. You, Mr Mabena and Buthelezi were taking turns on the use of this device,” says Mngomezulu, which the witness denied.
Jonathan was involved in the escort of Ntanzi to his first confession at the Moroka Police Station on June 19, 2020, as well as to his second confession statement at the Boksburg Police Station five days later.
According to Mngomezulu, Seargeant Vusumuzi Mogane who was present during the totrture did not participate.
Mngomezulu: He was always outside.
Jonathan: My lord, Sergeant Mogane asked for assistance either in handing over the suspects or escorting the suspect. When the suspect was in the vicinity, Sergeant Mogane would always be present.
Mogane, Mngomezulu says, was the man who couldn’t stand the accused’ torture, at one stage, telling Constable Mabena and Constable Buthelezi, “Yekelani die man” meaning “leave this man”.
Mngomezulu says during that incident at near garage towards Alberton, “that’s when the accused was untied”.
Mngomezulu also says the accused has denied that the proforma statement which Magistrate Vivian Cronje testified was not the one hed signed.
The defence’s version is that the accused never signed any document before Magistrate Cronje before he was then taken to an industrial area around Germiston where the assault continued. When he eventually signed the document blood spilt onto the document, says Mngomezulu, but the one that Crone brought to court did not have stains of the blood in question.
He has accused the witness of always being there when the accused were assaulted.
Mngomezulu: When I took instructions from accused 1 and 2, you are always in the picture. No one is replacing you. You know the reason why?
Jonathan: My lord, I could speculate that it’s a trust factor that Brig Gininda has in me.
Mngomezulu: Yes, because when you ascended to that stand, accused 2 called me and said when I see this man I feel like crying. I am traumitised.
Cross-examination continues.
Live stream of the court hearing:
