Judgment has been reserved in the urgent bail application of accused number two in the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial.
The accused, Bongani Ntanzi, appeared at the high court in Pretoria on Thursday for his application for bail, after being in police custody for almost two years. Ntanzi was arrested in June 2020 at his place of work in Rustenburg, North West.
He is implicated in the murder of Meyiwa, the late Bafana Bafana and Orlando Pirates goalkeeper, who was killed at the home of his then-girlfriend Kelly Khumalo in Vosloorus, east of Johannesburg in 2014.
Ntanzi believes he was framed for the murder.
His legal counsel, advocate Tshepo Thobane, called Ntanzi’s older brother Mbongeni to the stand, who told the court that many people depend on Ntanzi for survival in his Nongoma hometown in KwaZulu-Natal.
Mbongeni further told the court that their parents are still alive but battling ill-health.
Thobane argued that Ntanzi has been in custody since his arrest and has not applied for bail. Asked why he did not apply for bail, Thobane said he was not advised to apply.
Thobane, who believes his client is eligible for bail, also told the courtroom that Ntanzi does not have a passport and will not skip the country, adding that the court will know where to find him if he is granted bail.
“We submit that he doesn’t have a passport and will not flee. The prospects of him evading trial are low,” said Thobane.
The court also heard that Ntanzi has no previous convictions or pending cases. It is his first experience in jail.
However, state advocate George Baloyi opposed the bail application because Ntanzi is charged with “a schedule six offence”. He argued that the accused was not at work on the day Meyiwa was murdered, saying he lied about his absence.
“The applicant was not at work on the day of the incident. He last reported for work on the 25th. He told a lie about his whereabouts. Prospects of him evading trial loom large,” said Baloyi.
Five men are on trial for Meyiwa’s murder and will return to court in November after a postponement. Previously Tumelo Madlala, who has been identified as Meyiwa’s best friend, singled out Ntanzi as one of the intruders who invaded Khumalo’s home before the shooting.
Madlala was in the house at the time of the shooting. The court heard during his testimony a month ago that he had travelled from KwaZulu-Natal to visit Meyiwa.
Read more about the trial: Meyiwa trial: love triangle, identification add spice to proceedings
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