Meyiwa murder trial: 'Trail of hearsay' led to arrest of accused Sibiya, defence argues

JOHANNESBURG - The Pretoria High Court has heard how a trail of hearsay evidence led to the arrest of the man who allegedly kept watch during the murder of Senzo Meyiwa.

The investigating officer, Brigadier Bongani Gininda, was back on the witness stand for cross-examination.

He was fielding questions, particularly on the evidence against the first accused, Muzi Sibiya, after his lawyer died in 2024.

When proceedings ended in the Pretoria High Court on Monday, Sibiya’s lawyer, Advocate Charles Mnisi, had questioned Gininda about how his client became a suspect in Meyiwa’s murder.

He highlighted that it took a statement from Constable Sizwe Zungu’s father, Absolom, who claimed the names of Sibiya and Bongani Ntanzi were linked to Meyiwa’s murder during an argument between the two families in KwaNongoma in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).

But Absolom had heard this from someone called Mbhekiseni Ntuli, and on Tuesday, the court heard that he too had heard this from someone else.

"It is undoubtedly clear that it is a trail of hearsay and hearsay is not admissible, my lord, so as it is, this statement carries no value."

Mnisi pointed out that not only is Absolom Zungu’s statement hearsay evidence it is clear that police had built its case from triple hearsay evidence.

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