Accused number two Bongani Ntanzi allegedly received a deceptive call about a job offer from an investigating officer a week before his arrest in 2020.
This is according to Ntanzi’s defence lawyer advocate Thulani Mngomezulu, who told the Pretoria High Court on Monday that his client refused the offer and denied any involvement in the murder of soccer star Senzo Meyiwa.
The job offer
During cross-examination of investigating officer Sergeant Vusimuzi Mogane, Mngomezulu revealed that the contentious call was an attempt by Sergeant Batho Mogola to obtain the accused’s residential address after they had been trying to locate him without success.
“He was called by a 012 number. The person who called offered employment. Ntanzi responded by saying no, he had a job.
“The person who introduced herself as Sergeant Mogola told him that he is wanted for the murder of Senzo Meyiwa.
“That was the first time he denied his involvement, but he gave his address,” Mngomezulu said.
Mogane denied any knowledge of the call and disputed the job offer allegations, asserting that Mogola would have notified him about the call.
The police officer suggested that Sergeant Mogola must be afforded a chance on the stand to give her account of events.
He said: “[She] will come and testify about that.”
Previously, Mogane told the court that police knew about Ntanzi’s alleged involvement in Meyiwa’s murder and other cases he was wanted for since 2019.
However, his arrest was only actioned in June 2020, as they had struggled to find him.
‘Accused willingly confessed’
The court heard from Mogane that Ntanzi allegedly misled the police, saying that he was at work on the day Meyiwa was shot and killed.
However, in October his former human resources manager Hendrick Louis Mulder revealed that he was off on unpaid leave supposedly approved by his then-line manager.
He was set to return to his duties after five days.
On Monday Mogane told the court that upon realising that the police knew he was not at work on the day of the murder, Ntanzi willingly offered to “tell the truth” to Brigadier Gininda.
“Ask your client to tell you the truth. When we left the mine, having received the evidence that he was not at work, we drove out of the mine and he asked to speak to Brigadier Gininda. Gininda went to him and said, ‘what is the matter?’.
“Ntanzi said he wanted to tell the truth since his employer said he wasn’t at work, and that is when Brigadier Gininda informed him of his rights,” Mogane said.
