Absolom Zungu, the father of Constable Sizwe Zungu, has expressed his sadness about the lies that were spoken using his name in court.
Constable Sizwe Zungu, a key state witness who, on the day of the alleged hit, put all five of the suspects in a hostel in Vosloorus, said he was hurt and bothered by how it was easy for the lead investigator in the Senzo Meyiwa murder case, Brigadier Bongani Gininda, to tell the court that he made a statement implicating two of the accused.
He said this on Monday at the Pretoria High Court as one of the witnesses for the defence.
Zungu expressed anger over what he described as a pack of lies told in his name during cross-examination by Advocate Zithulele Nxumalo, who was representing accused number four.
Nxumalo questioned Zungu about whether his client had ever been mentioned by police when they visited Zungu in Ermelo, Mpumalanga.
“No, it’s the first time that I get to hear this name,” he responded.
Nxumalo further displayed a document that was submitted by the state with Zungu’s identity document and asked if it shows his ID number; he denied it.
“This ID number is not the same as the one on my ID,” he said.
Nxumalo said he would argue that.
Advocate Zandile Mshololo later took over the cross-examination, asking whether Zungu had ever provided Gininda with information about the people who killed Meyiwa.
“I’ve never given him any information,” he said.
When asked whether he had consented to get into the police vehicle before being asked to fabricate a statement, Zungu answered that he had not.
“They didn’t ask me to go with them; I was just informed that Gininda wants to see me. They did not explain why I was taken,” he said.
Mshololo asked if Zungu wanted to add anything further.
I didn’t know about case opened in my name
“Yes, there is. The reason that pushed me to come here is the fact that there was a case that was opened in my name, and I knew nothing about it.”
Judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng corrected him.
“Sorry Mr Zungu, when you say this case was opened because of you, that is false. This case was opened because Senzo Meyiwa was killed,” the judge said.
“My name was mentioned in this case, whereas I know nothing. This is serious because a person died, and when I listen to the case, I hear strange things spoken by Gininda using my name.
“There were statements that were made and made yet they are alleged to have been taken from me,” Zungu replied.
He said Gininda mentioned his name in a dangerous way.
Pushing for a fight
“This hurts me because, as he said, all these things are pushing for a fight because do you see how many of these people there are, and they are from different villages? He was inciting violence, and then people would die from these allegations.”
He continued, saying he took an oath in court because he wanted the truth to emerge.
“Gininda arrested these people using my name, and he has never informed me about this, that I would have to come here and testify. He said he arrested the accused because of the information that he got from me.
“The state called my son instead of calling me, and Constable Zungu came here and said these poor men killed Meyiwa.”
The trial continues.
