The defence attorney for accused two in the Senzo Meyiwa case, advocate Sipho Ramosepele, has refuted claims made by the lead investigator that his client, Bongani Ntanzi, knows the Buthelezi brothers.
Ramosepele said this during his cross-examination as he threw questions to Brigadier Bongani Gininda, the lead investigator in the case.
On Friday, Ramosepele told the Pretoria High Court that his client will tell the court that he does not know the Buthelezi brothers and constable Sizwe Zungu, who testified in court.
“Accused two will tell the court that he doesn’t know Simphiwe Buthelezi, Qiniselani Buthelezi, and the constable Zungu who testified here.”
Simphiwe Buthelezi has in a statement alleged that Ntanzi is a gun smuggler popular for supplying hitmen with firearms and ammunition.
But Gininda, on Friday, said it would be misleading for the accused to state that.
“If you look at his confession to the magistrate, he mentioned that as they were moving at some stage with a Polo Vivo, they met another Polo, and Simphiwe spoke to some of the accused,” said Gininda.
Ramosepele questioned if there were other people who were with the accused on the night before Meyiwa’s death.
“Who else was allegedly at the hostel to corroborate Zungu’s statement that there was a party, and they were drinking with the accused in the case?” Ramosepele asked.
Gininda said the Buthelezi brothers mentioned the names of the accused two in the case because they had been arrested for a crime in KwaNongoma, KwaZulu-Natal.
“I took statements from the Buthelezi brothers. I will have to check, but I do recall that there was Jack Buthelezi.
“I am just not sure whether he was at the hostel on the day as well. There are so many statements that implicate the accused, individually and collectively, and so one will have to look,” he replied.
According to Ramosepele, the accused two had already told the court, and if need be, he can do it again, that he was arrested in connection with the Senzo Meyiwa case and not the KwaNongoma case.
“If you look at the occurrence book when he was detained on 19 June 2020, it clearly states the case of Nongoma and the notice of rights then for the Nongoma case. He was only processed for this matter on October 26, 2020,” Gininda argued.
However, Ramosepele stated that the accused two heard about his involvement in the Nongoma case for the first time at the Pretoria High Court.
The court adjourned as Ramosepele wanted to ask questions emanating from a statement that he is not familiar with to Gininda.
Presiding officer Ratha Mokgoatlheng ordered that all the defence attorneys read the statement for them to continue next week.
