Tensions were high in the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial yesterday as the legal counsel for the five men accused of the crime and State witness Constable Sizwe Skhumbuzo Zungu ended proceedings in a heated exchange.
Just as Zandile Mshololo, the defence counsel for Sifisokuhle Nkani Ntuli, the fifth accused, requested to proceed with her cross-examination of Zungu in the High Court in Pretoria, he said: “That was quick.”
It was a comment Mshololo did not appreciate as she highlighted to the court that the comment made by the police officer was disrespectful and not how witnesses were supposed to conduct themselves.
“That is misbehaving in front of the State who read the rules of the conduct of witnesses in this case. That remark is wrong and disrespectful towards me,” she said.
Zungu responded: “I’m sorry Ms Mshololo. I wasn’t expecting we were done for the day.”
Judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng proceeded to ask what type of remark that was and reiterated how he had asked for the court decorum to be respected on a number of occasions.
Mshololo quipped: “You can protect the witness, it’s fine, my Lord.”
However, Mokgoatlheng said he was merely requesting for all in the court to respect the court decorum during proceedings.
Earlier on, Mshololo questioned the officer as to why he had failed to report to the police that he had been threatened by Ntuli’s brothers.
Zungu, however, said he saw no need to report the matter to the police even though he knew the people and had seen the vehicle they were driving.
During his evidence-in-chief Zungu told the court of one incident, in particular on November 18, 2019, when he went to buy a cigarette from the local shop.
He told the court the relatives of some of the men were parked outside the place where he was staying and on his return from the shops, one of Ntuli’s relatives produced a firearm through the car window.
Mshololo, however, told Zungu the reason he did not report the matter to the police was because it did not happen and that he had lied to the court.
Advocate Zithulele Nxumalo also gave Zungu a tough time during his cross-examination as he questioned why the officer had sat on crucial information about the October 26, 2014 murder of Meyiwa while a suspect had been wrongly arrested.
Nxumalo was referring to the arrest of Zamokuhle Mbatha, a Vosloorus resident, after he was allegedly identified by a witness during an identity parade.
The charges were eventually withdrawn against Mbatha due to insufficient evidence after he had spent two weeks in custody.
The police officer, however, stressed that he had only realised the value of what he had witnessed in 2018.
He told the court he came forward with the information by telling his cluster commander what he had witnessed.
The cross-examination of Zungu will be concluded today after he has been taken through a statement by Mshololo, with the State expected to call in a new witness.
The trial continues.