THE State in the slain former soccer star Senzo Meyiwa’s case believes accused one and two, Muzi Sibiya and Bongani Ntazi, freely provided their confession statement.
The court heard the closing arguments of a trial-within-trial in the North Gauteng High Court in Tshwane on Wednesday, 6 March.
State Prosecutor George Baloyi, in his closing arguments, told the court that the police would not have had enough time to influence them.
“How will the police have come up with the version in the confession? How will the police have known what to write in those confessions?” he asked.
Baloyi reiterated that Sibiya and Ntanzi’s version of events must be rejected.
“The version of the accused ought to be rejected.”
The pair previously told the court that they were assaulted and forced to sign confession statements they didn't write.
Judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng granted the defence request to have the trial-within-a-trial restarted.
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When it started in October 2023, it was meant to determine the admissibility of confession statements following allegations by Sibiya and Ntanzi.
Officer Meshack Makhubo, one of the three officers the defence requested to testify, said he was appointed by the Minister of Police, Bheki Cele, to investigate the case.
He also said Sibiya had been arrested on 19 March 2019 but was never charged or appeared in court.
Another revelation came to light when it was said that at some point, 40 investigators were probing Meyiwa's death and another docket in 2019 during a meeting in State Prosecutor Advocate Baloyi's office.
But Baloyi said Makhubo’s evidence needs to be struck off the record.
He said Makhubo's evidence made no valuable contribution regarding what the court is seized with.
The closing arguments will continue Thursday, 7 March.
