The witchdoctor who testified in the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial was allegedly used to push the narrative that the accused killed the Bafana Bafana goalkeeper.
This allegation was made in the Pretoria High Court on Wednesday by accused number one, Muzi Sibiya. He took the stand to deny ever meeting the traditional healer, Lionel Zwane, also known as umkhulu.
According to Sibiya, he has never seen Zwane, who is alleged to have helped the accused with muthi for cleansing after Meyiwa’s murder.
“I don’t know Lionel Zwane’s house, and I never went there. I saw this Zwane person for the first time here in court. He doesn’t know me either, because he couldn’t point me out when I was sitting right there,” Sibiya stated.
Sibiya explained that the man who called from his phone during the police investigation was someone named Magwaza, whom he only met in January 2020.
Denies knowing traditional healer
When prosecutor Advocate George Baloyi questioned his relationship with Magwaza, Sibiya said he was just someone he got to know in January 2020.
“He wasn’t my traditional healer,” he clarified.
The court also heard that police officers, including Sergeant Batho Mogola, allegedly assaulted Magwaza during their visit to his home.
“Mogola took my phone, instructed me to open it by putting in my pin. They assaulted him, and then after that they left,” Sibiya said.
However, Baloyi said, according to Mogola’s testimony, they went to Magwaza’s house for investigations.
“It wasn’t an investigation; they assaulted him,” said Sibiya.
Baloyi continued to read Mogola’s testimony. He mentioned the claims that Sibiya led the police to Zwane’s house in Palm Ridge.
Sergeant’s testimony challenged
“If the police claim I took them there, why did Mogola take my phone and call Magwaza in Soweto? When they got there, they assaulted Magwaza after realising he wasn’t the person they wanted, they left. That shows they were still searching, looking for someone they could build a story on,” he responded.
Sibiya also challenged the testimony of Sergeant Mogola, who said he had confirmed Zwane was the mkhulu the police were looking for.
“I know nothing about Zwane. If they say I took them to Palm Ridge, why did they end up in Soweto? It is because they were creating a story.”
Zwane, who previously testified that he knew Sibiya, was accused by the accused of lying under instruction.
“Zwane was told to speak about Sibiya in this court. It’s impossible that he saw me in 2014, then all those years passed for him to see me in 2020. And yet he couldn’t point me out in court. That shows he doesn’t know me,” Sibiya concluded.
The trial continues.
