4 Police Officers Accused of Mthokozisi Ntumba’s Murder Found Not Guilty in the Johannesburg High Court

• The four police officers who were accused of killing 35-year-old Mthokozisi Ntumba have been found not guilty
• The judge stated that none of the state witnesses could identify the accused as those responsible for the death
• Ntumba was gunned down during a University of the Witwatersrand student protest on 10 March last year

BRAAMFONTEIN - The four police officers accused of shooting and killing Mthokozisi Ntumba were found not guilty on all charges in the Johannesburg High Court on Tuesday, 5 July.

Tshepiso Kekana, 27, Cidraas Motseothatha, 43, Madimetja Legodi, 37, and Victor Mohammed, 51, were charged with murder and attempted murder and pleaded not guilty.

Judge Mawabo Malangeni found that none of the state witnesses could identify the accused as those responsible for Ntumba’s death. SowetanLIVE reported that Malangeni said the state could not provide credible evidence to convict the accused.

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The victim, 35-year-old Ntumba, was gunned down during a University of the Witwatersrand student protest when police fired rubber bullets on 10 March last year. Ntumba was killed after visiting his doctor, and he wasn't even part of the protest. According to SABC News, the defence had brought an application for all counts to be dismissed.

South Africans were left angered over the judgment into the Mthokozisi Ntumba murder case:

Sphesihle Sphakamiso Ntombela said:

“The law and justice are not for the poor in this country, so poor people, you are on your own.”

Thabiso Makinita commented:

“I am not surprised, our justice system is more for the perpetrators than the victims."

Nqobile Dlamini posted:

“Congrats to the South African justice system. This is heartbreaking for the family.”

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Boitumelo Bogatsu added:

“Unjust law is no law at all.”

Mthokozisi Ntumba: Bystander shot at close range, postmortem reveals

In a related matter, Briefly News also reported judgement in the case of the four officers accused of killing innocent bystander Mthokozisi Ntumba has been reserved for Friday, 26 March. An IPID (Independent Police Investigative Directorate) investigator revealed that Ntumba had been shot at close range with a rubber bullet.

Ntumba’s postmortem results revealed that he died due to a firearm injury to his chest. Reports say that Ntumba’s body was found on the pavement with three bullet wounds. The court heard that the officers had shot at students inside a building.

Source: Briefly News