After the defense attorney fails to appear in court, the judge claims that some people do not take the murder trial of Senzo Meyiwa seriously.
Advocate Sipho Ramosepele, advocate Charles Mnisi, advocate Zandile Mshololo, and advocate Zithulele Nxumalo represent the murder accused in the Senzo Meyiwa trial in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoris.
The murder trial of soccer star Senzo Meyiwa was adjourned on Friday after one of the defense attorneys was unable to appear in court due to illness.
When advocate Thulani Mngomezulu failed to appear, the court was set to hear arguments about an Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) report.
Mngomezulu was supposed to appear in court and present his head of state.
His client, accused number two, Bongani Sandiso Ntanzi, claims that police stopped him several times and severely abused him in order to force him to confess to Meyiwa’s murder.
The State presented the AVL report detailing car movements made by police while transporting Ntanzi after his arrest to refute Ntanzi’s statement
• The application to dismiss Bongani Ntanzi’s medical report, which shows no injuries, in the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial fails.
• Senzo Meyiwa trial: Judge astounded by lawyers’ behavior after five murder suspects gain access to classified documents
• Senzo Meyiwa’s widow was killed in a drive-by shooting in Vosloorus.
• Cop tells attorney not to let Senzo Meyiwa’s murder-accused reputation be ruined by defending his lies.
According to the cop, Bongani Ntanzi voluntarily confessed to the murder of Senzo Meyiwa.
On Thursday, Mngomezulu questioned the State’s decision to present the evidence, claiming that it couldn’t be used because it wasn’t presented earlier, but only during cross-examination.
However, before the proceedings could begin on Friday, State advocate George Baloyi informed the court that Mngomezulu had dropped his application to challenge the report.
Advocate Sipho Ramosepele, who represents the same accused as Mngomezulu, interjected and informed the court that there have been some changes and that they will be challenging the report on Monday.
Ramosepele stated that he cannot proceed without Mngomezulu’s presence, but that if he is still unavailable on Monday, he will.
Judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng stated that he was prepared to hear the arguments but was surprised to learn of the new changes.
“I come here prepared and ready, and then I get an advocate telling me, ‘Tell the judge it’s not necessary to prepare,’… “It’s just unfortunate that some people don’t take this case seriously,” Judge Mokgoatlheng said.
The hearing has been rescheduled for Monday
