Senzo Meyiwa trial: Cop denies accused was electrocuted during alleged assault

A state witness in the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial has stressed that he has no knowledge about an accused’s claims of assault and torture as the defence continued to test his evidence.

Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) officer Wendell Jonathan returned to the witness stand in the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on Monday for further cross-examination.

A trial-within-a-trial is taking place to determine the admissibility of confession statements, pointing out and warning statements by the five accused men in the main trial.

Metro cop testimony

Last week, Jonathan vehemently denied being involved or witnessing any assaults on accused one, Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya, and accused two, Bongani Ntanzi, as claimed by the defence.

He was one of the police officers who escorted Sibiya and Ntanzi at the time of their alleged confessions.

Evidence put before the court has revealed that the accused confessed to their alleged involvement in the 2014 murder of Meyiwa.

However, both confessions are being disputed by the defence, who claim the statements were made under duress because the suspects were tortured by the police. 

ALSO READ: Senzo Meyiwa trial: Witness can’t confirm whether accused was assaulted

Jonathan testified that he only transported Ntanzi on two occasions, the first time to Moroka Police Station in Soweto, where the accused made a confession statement before Colonel Moholo Solomon Raphadu on 19 June 2020.

The witness said the second time from Moot Police Station in Pretoria to the Boksburg Magistrate’s Court on 24 June.

The court previously heard that Ntanzi made his second confession before Magistrate Vivian Cronje.

Jonathan also was part of the escort that transported Sibiya for his pointing out exercise in Vosloorus on 5 June.

First meeting under dispute

Advocate Thulani Mngomezulu, counsel for Sibiya and Ntanzi, on Monday questioned Jonathan about his involvement in the alleged assault of the accused.

Mngomezulu put it to Jonathan that the first time he met Ntanzi was when the accused was beaten up in the company of Sergeant Vusimuzi Mogane – and police officers called Mabena and Buthelezi.

“You said you first met the accused person two at Moroka Police Station, it’s my instruction that is not true. His version is the first time you appeared in his presence when you were called to meet Mogane and Mabena at garage,” the defence lawyer said.

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Jonathan disputed this.

According to Mngomezulu, Ntanzi was on his way from Soweto to Alberton when the police stopped next to a filling station where he was beaten up and choked by the officers.

The advocate also alleged that they also moved from one place to another where the torture continued before Ntanzi was taken to Chris Baragwanath Hospital where he allegedly met Raphadu.

Raphadu has already denied the allegations in court, stating that Ntanzi made his confession freely and voluntarily.

‘Accused electrocuted’

Mngomezulu told Jonathan that Ntanzi was first assaulted in the vehicle they were travelling in.

“You then pushed the front seat back towards the accused, pressed him very hard on his knees with the seat and at that moment Mabena was putting a grey plastic over his face while Buthelezi was blocking the accused from getting out of the motor vehicle,” he said on Monday.

“No, I was never at a garage with the accused or Sergeant Mogane,” Jonathan replied.

The witness also dismissed Mngomezulu’s allegation that Ntanzi was also assaulted in the presence of the lead investigator in Meyiwa’s killing, Brigadier Bongani Gininda, at a dumping site.

READ MORE: Senzo Meyiwa trial: Defence grills witness over ‘inducing’ accused into making confession

Mngomezulu: “There was a person who poured accused number two with water from the front part of his body.”

Jonathan: “I have no knowledge [of] that”

Mngomezulu: “That is when Gininda told accused number two he must tell the truth about the death of Senzo Meyiwa.

But the witness insisted he met Ntanzi for the first time at the Moroka Police Station.

Watch the trial below:

Mngomezulu further put it to Jonathan that at one stage, the officers took turns in using a device they had to electrocute Ntanzi.

“You, Mr Mabena and Buthelezi were taking turns on the use of this device,” the defence lawyer said, which the witness denied.

Furthermore, the advocate said Ntanzi started bleeding from nose and that’s when Mogane shouted “yekelani die man” (translated: leave this man).

“That’s then accused number two was untied. He was wet and bleeding and he was put back into the Toyota Fortuner. As you were escorting, the Toyota Fortuner entered Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital,” Mngomezulu said.

However, Jonathan once again told the court he had no knowledge of the assault.

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