Senzo Meyiwa murder accused at risk of not getting future legal aid, court told

The Gauteng High Court in Pretoria has heard that one of the five men accused of murdering Senzo Meyiwa is at risk of not receiving state-funded legal representation in the future.

This week, it was heard that accused one, Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya terminated the services of his instructing attorney, Sipho Ramosepele, and will now be represented by defence counsel, Thulani Mngomezulu.

This is after the Legal Aid South Africa’s board decided not to pay Mngomezulu for his work on the trial-within-a-trial, which commenced in October 2023.

Sibiya’s family, however, has indicated that they will privately retain Mngomezulu’s services to represent the accused until the main trial ends.

Legal aid ‘in jeopardy’

At the beginning of Wednesday’s proceedings, Ramosepele told the court that he was asked by Legal Aid to place on record that Sibiya’s termination of their services “was not done in good course”.

As a result, this places the accused’s future in receiving legal aid at risk.

“He has placed himself in jeopardy of obtaining legal aid in the future because he was allocated legal aid in the lower courts that he also terminated before.

“Should he succeed with another application for legal aid in the future, it is not guaranteed that Mr Mngomezulu is going to be appointed on his behalf,” the attorney said.

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Mngomezulu, in his response, said he would not comment as this was the first time hearing the news.

“My instruction is that it is their decision that they have taken and he reserves the right not to comment on the same reason,” the defence lawyer informed the court after consulting with Sibiya.

The accused was represented by Ramosepele when the murder trial began from scratch last July.

Watch the trial below:

Suspect jailed for drug possession

Sibiya is one of the five men on trial for Meyiwa’s murder. The former Orlando Pirates goalkeeper was killed at the Vosloorus family home of his then-girlfriend, singer Kelly Khumalo, on 26 October 2014.

Along with his co-accused, the suspect has pleaded not guilty.

In January, Sibiya was sentenced behind bars relating to a drug dealing case dating back to 2019.

READ MORE: Senzo Meyiwa murder accused slapped with five-year jail sentence

Sibiya was found guilty on two counts, including possession of drugs and the illegal possession of ammunition, on 12 December 2023.

The suspect was given five year sentences on each count.

The sentences will run concurrently with the 12 years he is serving for attempted murder, stemming from a 2017 conviction.