Sgt Vusimuzi Mogane has been ordered to reveal details of a prolonged investigation involving Senzo Meyiwa murder accused Bongani Ntanzi.
Sgt Vusumzi Mogane compelled to expose details about Bongani Ntanzi investigaiton
The ongoing trial concerning the murder of former Bafana Bafana captain Senzo Meyiwa took a significant turn this Tuesday at the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria.
Sgt Mogane, a key figure in the investigation, was compelled to provide information about his extensive 12-hour investigation conducted with the accused Bongani Ntanzi.
Ntanzi, arrested in June 2020, has been implicated in multiple cases including a 2018 murder, drug dealing, and the high-profile murder of Meyiwa in 2014.
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The court scrutinised Sgt Mogane’s actions following Ntanzi’s arrest, questioning why the accused was kept in the company of law enforcement for an extended period after his alibi verification at Sibanye Stillwater Mine.
The sergeant’s decision to involve Ntanzi in unrelated investigations sparked an intense cross-examination.
Despite Sgt Mogane’s claims that Ntanzi was compliant, the rationale behind not returning him immediately to the holding cells after the alibi check remains unclear.
Judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng stepped in, ordering Sgt Mogane to submit a detailed account of the additional cases probed during the time Ntanzi was in custody.
This information is to be disclosed exclusively to the court, defence, and state, safeguarding its confidentiality.
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The trial has also cast a spotlight on the various charges against Ntanzi. While no charges have been brought forth in the Nongoma murder case, a search of his residence yielded rifle ammunition, resulting in a charge of unlawful possession for which he was subsequently found not guilty.
The drug dealing case mentioned remains stagnant, with no progress since its introduction in court.
Amidst these revelations, Ntanzi’s defence has brought forward allegations of assault and torture by police, purportedly to extract confessions. These confessions are now the subject of debate, as the defence argues they were not given voluntarily.
The Senzo Meyiwa trial-within-a-trial resumes on Wednesday.