Meyiwa accused claims only the signature is his on ‘confessions’

The second suspect on the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial, Bongani Ntanzi during his bail application at the high court in Pretoria. Picture: Oupa Mokoena/African News Agency(ANA)

The second suspect on the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial, Bongani Ntanzi during his bail application at the high court in Pretoria. Picture: Oupa Mokoena/African News Agency(ANA)

Published Feb 13, 2024

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The only thing belonging to him is his signature and thumbprint, the rest of what has been written and testified before the high court are nothing but lies.

This was what second murder accused, Bongani Sandiso Ntanzi, told the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, during his cross-examination by the State yesterday. He denied whatever was written in the documents police had submitted to the court.

Ntanzi said the only thing he would vouch for was his signature and thumbprint. However, he stressed that this was only due to the fact that the police had tortured him repeatedly into signing the confessions.

When prosecutor Ronnie Sibanda asked him who had requested his signature, he replied that police officers had come with lead investigator, Bongani Gininda, who asked him if he was still not willing to sign or if he should let them kill him.

“They brought the document with a pen and I just opted to sign. Colonel Raphadu had the document and Gininda was talking when I said bring the document, he paged through it and showed me where to sign.

“He (Raphadu) never asked me a single question, even my name. He never asked me as I saw he was already in possession of my ID along with the other papers,” he added.

Then Ntanzi backtracked slightly as he said that it was possible that Lieutenant Colonel Solomon Raphadu had said something at the time, however, there were things that he may have forgotten.

Ntanzi is currently testifying in the trial-within-a-trial relating to two confessions he made to the investigating team, which he and his co-accused Muzikhawkulelwa Sibiya have both denied making freely and voluntarily.

The trial-within-a-trial continues tomorrow.

The Star

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