Muzi Sibiya, the first accused in the murder trial of former Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa, gave an emotional testimony on Monday before the Pretoria High Court, accusing the police of mistreating and forcing him to confess to the 2014 killing.
With his lawyer, Advocate Charles Mnisi, leading his testimony, Sibiya told the court that his troubles with police started in 2019.
Assaulted to force confession
Sibiya described being grabbed, questioned, and kicked by officers who linked him to Meyiwa’s murder at singer Kelly Khumalo’s home in Vosloorus.
Giving details as his defence counsel asked, Sibiya told the court that he knew three of his co-accused.
“I know Ntanzi, Maphisa and Ntuli; the only person I saw for the first time when we were already arrested was Mncube. Ntanzi is from a village closer to my village in KwaZulu-Natal; Maphisa is from a village where my mother was born, so I would see him from time to time when I visited my mom’s family. Ntuli and I are related. My mother is from the Ntuli surname; as a matter of fact, Ntuli calls my mother an aunt, even though they’re not from the same house,” he said.
Sibiya said his first police contact was in 2019.
“In 2019, even though I cannot recall the exact day, we were seated in front of a shop in the Vusumuzi section in Tembisa. I was with Sandile and Mondli, and I cannot remember the names of the others.
Grabbed while trying to run away
“A taxi approached us, with the sliding door open, but we were not paying attention to the taxi. As soon as they arrived to us, two people who were not wearing police uniforms jumped out of the taxi with their firearms (a man and a woman).
“When we tried to run away, the man grabbed me by the clothes from the back, placed me on the ground and then cuffed my hands. He then took me to the taxi that they were travelling in. Inside, there was a driver who was wearing a police uniform.”
They drove to an unknown office building and ordered him to sit on the floor, Sibiya said.
“They asked about Meyiwa’s death, and I told them that I know nothing about it. They said I killed him.”
Sibiya further said he was asked why he left Vosloorus.
“I told them that I left Vosloorus because I was not working anymore, and I needed to be in a place where there’s public transportation like the train because I would use it when I go to look for a job.”
According to Sibiya, the two people who arrested him were a woman [Baloyi] and a man named Modau.
Cops unleash assault
“Baloyi left, and they started stepping on me with a plastic covering his face, making it difficult for me to breathe. They then left me, saying there are others who wanted to speak to me. I got up, and they took me to those people, four of them. One of them introduced himself as Sibiya, Makhubo, Leshabane and Zungu.”
Mnisi asked if the Zungu he is referring to is the one who testified earlier in the case.
“That is true. And yes, that is the Zungu who introduced himself to me. And Makhubo is the one who also came to testify here.”
“Did Sibiya come before this court to testify?” Mnisi asked.
“No, he didn’t come.”
He further said the four also asked him about Meyiwa.
“When I told them that I knew nothing. They insisted I was involved. But I told them that I have never killed anyone, so they took my fingerprints; after that, they said should they find that my fingerprints are linked with the case, they will come charge me. They moved me to Tembisa police station and charged me for drugs.”
However, to Sibiya’s surprise, on the next day a police officer called his name and let me go home.
Until he was re-arrested in May 2020 by traffic police who wore face covers.
