Accused 'lookout' in Senzo Meyiwa murder pushes for acquittal, citing lack of proof

The lawyer for the alleged lookout man in the murder of Senzo Meyiwa has argued that the State has failed to prove that he was part of a plan to assassinate the football star.

Mthokoziseni Maphisa’s representative, Advocate Zithulele Nxumalo, has made an application for his client’s acquittal.

He claims there is nothing linking Maphisa to Meyiwa’s 2014 murder at the home of his girlfriend, singer Kelly Khumalo.

According to the State, Maphisa is one of five men who planned and executed Meyiwa’s murder.

For Mthokoziseni Maphisa’s Section 174 discharge application to succeed, he must convince the court that the State does not have enough evidence linking him to Senzo Meyiwa’s murder.

His lawyer, Zithulele Nxumalo, made this argument in court today, highlighting that Maphisa was not seen by any witnesses, was not definitively placed on the scene through DNA evidence, and therefore could not be linked to the crime scene.

“There is nothing in the bank records that suggests that Accused 4 received any proceeds from the mastermind for the killing of the deceased,” Nxumalo said.

Nxumalo also insisted one of the State’s key witnesses, Constable Sizwe Zungu - who claims to have seen the accused on the day of the crime - did not see or hear Maphisa and his co-accused hatch a plan to murder Meyiwa.

Tomorrow, the State will respond to Nxumalo’s arguments.