Senzo Meyiwa Trial: Court Proceedings Delayed by Debates Over How Selfies Work and Gold Teeth

• The proceedings in the ongoing trial into the murder of Senzo Meyiwa was delayed by a debate about selfies and gold teeth
• The State argued that new photo evidence proved that one of the accused had a gold tooth at the time of the murders
• Advocate Charles Mnisi accused the laptop operator of fidgeting with photos as proceedings heated up on 20 June

Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.

GAUTENG – The ongoing trial into the murder of Senzo Meyiwa is not short of drama.

From constant delays to heated moments in court, the trial of the five men arrested in connection with the crime continues in the Gauteng High Court, but appears no closer to concluding.

Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya, Bongani Sandiso Ntanzi, Mthobisi Prince Mncube, Mthokoziseni Maphisa, and Fisokuhle Ntuli are on trial for the murder of the former Bafana Bafana and Orlando Pirates star.

Photographic evidence at the centre of latest issue

With the defence currently presenting its case, photographic evidence brought forward by the State came under scrutiny. The State introduced photographs retrieved from the cellphones of Ntanzi and Mncube. The State claimed that the photos backed up witness descriptions of the intruders.

One of the descriptions stated that one of the accused had a gold tooth, which the State said matched the photo of Mncube. Sergeant Moses Mabasa, an analyst in the South African Police Service (SAPS), was recalled to testify about the photos, but defence advocate Charles Mnisi argued that Mncube was not the man in the photo as the State alleged.

Two photos were shown in court, with Mnisi stating that the one photo, with the gold teeth, was Mncube’s brother, and not him.

“The photo that is on the right-hand side is of accused three. The photo, which is on the left side, is a photo of his elder brother, who is now deceased,” Mnisi said.

Court delayed as selfie discussion dominates

Proceedings then drifted off track as Mnisi and Mabasa argued over a supposed selfie. Mabasa claimed that the other photo, which was of the accused, was a selfie. Mnisi stated that it was taken by Mncube’s girlfriend. This then turned into a debate about whether selfies reversed the position of people in the photo as opposed to a normal photo, which led to Mabasa taking a few photos in the courtroom to prove his point.

The first series of photos looked the same, but then appeared to prove that selfies reversed the image. This led to Mnisi claiming that the operator of the laptop who downloaded the photos was ‘fidgeting’ with them. He then asked for an adjournment so that the defence could find someone to operate the system, as they did not trust the officer who was doing it.

What you need to know about the Senzo Meyiwa trial

• 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.
• The matter was hit by a further postponement as a defence lawyer wasn't ready to proceed after a two-month delay.
• Defence lawyer Thulani Mngomezulu passed away after a short illness, throwing the trial into disarray.

Mnisi completes Comrades Marathon

Briefly News also reported that there was confusion over whether the trial would be delayed by Mnisi's participation in the Comrades marathon.

Mnisi applied for a leave of absence, stating that he would be unavailable on 9 June 2025 as he would be returning from KwaZulu-Natal.

But Judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng refused to say whether the lawyer had been granted leave, as he said he would be in court.

Source: Briefly News