Senzo Meyiwa Murder Trial Postponed Once Again, Defence Lawyer Charles Mnisi Not Ready To Proceed
- The Senzo Meyiwa trial returned after a two-month break but has been postponed again
- Defence lawyer Charles Mnisi told the court that he was not ready to proceed with the case as yet
- Judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng argued that Mnisi had more than enough time to prepare for the resumption
Source: Getty Images
Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent ten years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.
GAUTENG – The Senzo Meyiwa murder trial has been postponed once again.
The trial returned to the Pretoria High Court on Monday, 14 April 2025, after a two-month break, but it has been postponed again by another week.
The trial was postponed for two months and two weeks to allow for defence lawyer, Advocate Charles Mnisi, to adequately prepare. Mnisi took over representing accused number one, Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya, in February, after Advocate Thulani Mngomezulu passed away in December 2024.
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Defence lawyer tells the court he is not ready
When proceedings resumed on 14 April, Mnisi told the court that he was still not ready to proceed.
He noted that his life came to a standstill during the past two months as he had to go through over 40,000 pages in preparation for the case.
He explained that he was also supposed to run the Two Oceans Marathon but had to forego his registration as he put all his efforts into preparing for the trial.
“I am not ready to proceed. If I had to come here and tell the court that I am ready, that would be an injustice to Mr Sibiya,” he stated.
Mnisi was set to proceed with the cross-examination of Brigadier Bongani Gininda when the trial resumed. Gininda is the lead investigator in the case.
Source: Getty Images
Judge shows no sympathy to defence lawyer
Judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng showed no sympathy to Mnisi, arguing that he had more than enough time to go through the work.
Mokgoatlheng even stated that there were actually close to 60,000 pages, which he read, so he couldn’t understand why the defence couldn’t.
“Mr Mnisi, I think this is an abuse of the system. I have got to be fair with you,” he said.
State prosecutor Advocate George Baloyi said they were not in a position to object to the request for more time, as he was aware of the effort Mnisi was putting in. Baloyi stressed, on the other hand, that the matter needed to be finalised, as Brigadier Gininda had been in the witness box since last year.
Mokgoatlheng then granted what he called the final postponement until 22 April.
“If you are not ready, then your client will have to intercede on your behalf,” Mokgoatlheng said.
Mnisi argued that he would not be able to be ready by the date, adding that if the court said he needed to be ready by next week, then he would have to excuse himself as a representative for the accused.
The judge still didn’t budge, saying that he had more than enough time and there would be no further postponements.
The trial, which has been ongoing since 2021, has been marred by numerous delays. It’s also added to the frustration as many wait for justice to be served, 11 years after the former Bafana Bafana star was killed.
What you need to know about the trial
- Bank statements contradicted accused number one's claims that he wasn't in Gauteng when Meyiwa was killed.
- One of the men accused of killing former Orlando Pirates star, Meyiwa, admitted that he was in contact with Kelly Khumalo.
- A defence lawyer said that two of the accused's confessions of murder were made under duress.
- Kelly Khumalo was linked with the murder of Meyiwa once more, leaving many to ask why she wasn't arrested.
- Tensions were rising between Judge Mokgoatlheng and Advocate Mnisi during proceedings in the murder trial.
Defence lawyer Thulani Mngomezulu passes away
Briefly News reported that Thulani Mngomezulu, one of the defence lawyers in the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial, passed away.
The advocate passed away on 10 December 2024 after a short battle with illness in Vosloorus, Ekurhuleni.
South Africans suspected that the case was cursed, and many conveyed their condolences.
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Source: Briefly News
