A mysterious man has been sent to the courtroom allegedly by Police Minister Bheki Cele, among others, to ask for the names of suspects and witnesses in the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial, advocate Malesela Teffo told the Pretoria High Court on Tuesday.
Teffo, who represents four of the five men accused of killing the former Bafana Bafana shot-stopper in 2014, asked to have the man introduced as Lieutenant-Colonel Fourie to explain the reason for his presence in the courtroom.
Teffo, who raised concerns about the safety of his clients, told the court: “The court is well-aware that our witnesses are being threatened and so are we, we need to know why this officer has been sent, because the lives of our clients are at risk.”
Judge Tshifhiwa Maumela said he is reluctant to call the man to the stand, noting that he is concerned about the information pertaining to the presence of Fourie given Teffo’s dramatic arrest after court proceedings had wrapped up for the day in April.
Maumela suggested that the proceedings be adjourned to allow the defence team to interact with Fourie and to find the reasons for his presence. However, Teffo resolved to resume his submissions that dealt with the existence of two dockets in one trial, docket 375 and docket 636.
The high court heard on Monday that docket 375 has no merit and that the director of public prosecutions (DPP) in the South Gauteng division never made a decision to charge the people who were at Kelly Khumalo’s mother’s house in Vosloorus, east of Johannesburg, where Meyiwa was shot dead on October 26 2014.
In a letter read out in court on Monday, the National Prosecuting Authority explained that the docket was an internal opinion by a junior advocate, and said the DPP maintains that the docket does not have any status.
Teffo pointed out how national prosecutions head Shamila Batohi signed the jurisdiction letter and not the minister, as stipulated in the Criminal Procedure Act.
He further questioned the day the jurisdiction letter was signed and the authenticity of the letter, saying he would like to have Batohi present in court to corroborate the letter.
Teffo told the court: “It was nine months before my clients were arrested. How on earth, your lordship, with all due respect, can this be purported to be the certificate they’re giving you in this matter? The ninth of February 2021 was a Sunday, and a day we believe that our honourable Shamila Batohi was off.”
The trial continues…
Also read: Second docket in Meyiwa’s murder trial holds no merit – NPA
Controversial second docket brings Meyiwa’s murder trial to a halt
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