State questions Ntanzi on links to co-accused in Meyiwa trial

Accused 1, Muzi Sibiya (blue shirt) speaking to accused 2, Bongani Ntanzi and Mthobizi Mncube during the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial at the High Court in Pretoria.

The state in the Senzo Meyiwa trial has taken accused two, Bongani Ntanzi, through common contacts between him and his co-accused. The state is challenging Ntanzi’s testimony that he does not know three of the men he is currently on trial with.

The five accused are appearing before the High Court in Pretoria for the 2014 murder of Bafana Bafana captain Senzo Meyiwa. Ntanzi has consistently denied knowing accused three, Mthobi Mncube, accused four Mthokoziseni Maphisa and accused five Sifiso Ntuli.

However, State Prosecutor George Baloyi took Ntanzi through a number of alleged common contacts and possible links between them.

Baloyi: Now, the cell phone records of accused number three, Mr. Mncube, for the number ending 8169 as per exhibit DD5, in brackets, F, Roman, figure one, indicate that, that number ending 8169 was in contact with the number ending 12399.
Ntanzi: My lord, I have no business between contacts between Mncube and Lungisani. I was not there and what it is that they were discussing, I don’t know.
Baloyi: That Mthokoziseni Maphisa number ending 3801, contacted Sifiso Ntuli accused 5, on the number ending,1239, 27 times, 125 outgoing calls and 2 SMSs. So, the point here being that all the accused have got this number ending one, 1239 as a common contact except for accused number 5.

However, Ntanzi went on to question the state about the alleged communication between him and his co-accused around the time of Meyiwa’s murder, accusing the prosecution of fabricating evidence.

“I would remind the court because certain things I’m able to recall, my Lord. The evidence in court was that we were in contact amongst each other in 2014 on the day of the incident. Now, what hurts me, my Lord is that my number was not in existence in 2014, October 2014. My number is a 2018 number. The number that the police allege was there, it was in existence in 2014, which is an indication, my Lord, that, that which is documented here, about my name, my Lord is not true, it is lies, it has been made up, it has been cooked.”

Ntanzi is expected back on the stand Wednesday Morning when the trial continues.