Pretoria - Judgment in the bail application of the second accused in the Senzo Meyiwa trial has been reserved for judge Aubrey Ledwaba to take into consideration all the facts put before him.
Bongani Ntanzi, who is one of the five men currently on trial for the October 2014 murder of the Orlando Pirate's soccer player, approached the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria earlier today to apply for his release on bail.
Ntanzi's legal counsel, Thomas Thobane said he believed exceptional circumstances existed for him to be released on bail, while the 32-year-old maintains he's being framed for the soccer star's death.
He was reportedly the only accused in the Meyiwa matter, which was postponed to November 14, who has no criminal record or pending cases against him.
This was despite the state witness and the soccer player's best friend Tumelo Madlala, who was in the Vosloorus house of Kelly Khumalo on the night of the murder, identifying Ntanzi as one of the intruders that Meyiwa had charged at on the night.
During his application, Ntanzi told the court through an affidavit that at the time of his arrest in June 2020, he was employed at a mine in Rustenburg and had been at work on the night of the murder.
According to the accused he was allegedly assaulted by the police on June 19 and was forced to make confessions about his involvement in the murder of Meyiwa.
He stated that police took his statements after severely assaulting him and taking away his bloodied clothes and that he had even refused to sign the documents at one point.
Ntanzi's older brother, Mbongeleni Ntanzi also took to the stand and testified how they hailed from a village in Nongoma and that, his brother was a breadwinner who was looking after his family and other children who occupied their homestead.
They stressed that he was also not a flight risk as he had no passports and that he would be able to travel from KwaZulu-Natal to attend the Meyiwa proceedings.
Thobane said Ntanzi's continued incarceration was not in the best interests of justice as it was unknown how long the trial looking into the murder of Meyiwa would take.
State advocate George Baloyi called no witnesses to the stand however they stressed that they were worried that Ntanzi may not appear for the trial as he stayed in an area outside of the court's jurisdiction.
He also told the court that Ntanzi had actually made two separate confessions one which was made before a police officer and another in front of a magistrate.
Baloyi said it was improbable that Ntanzi had made the second confession before a magistrate in the presence of his legal counsel and would not have indicated that he was forced to sign and make the first confession statement.
He also highlighted how no medical attention was sought by the accused.
Judge Ledwaba said he would reserve his judgement for a date yet to be announced.
Pretoria News