Lawyer Magdalene Moonsamy accused of witness intimidation in Meyiwa trial

02 June 2022 - 14:17
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Five men are standing trial for the 2014 murder of footballer Senzo Meyiwa.
Five men are standing trial for the 2014 murder of footballer Senzo Meyiwa.
Image: ANTONIO MUCHAVE

An instructing attorney for four accused in the Senzo Meyiwa trial said on Thursday they will be reporting Kelly Khumalo's lawyer to the Legal Practice Council for alleged witness intimidation.

Timothy Thobane said they will also lay a charge of defeating the ends of justice against  Magdalene Moonsamy.

“Whatever she said, it intimidates witnesses. Can you say you are going to sue someone and that person must come and be a witness, you think that person will come and be a witness?

“And another thing, the issue of the Legal Practice Council ... You cannot go to the media and complain about the decision of the judge. If you are not happy about the decision of the judge, come before the judge and make an appeal. If you are not happy then you go to another court — get a petition,” he said.

“The Legal Practice Council must intervene, they can intervene even if I don’t lodge a complaint. I am not happy. You cannot go to the media and do those kind of things.”

Moonsamy was appointed by Khumalo on a watching brief when the trial began. She was excused by the court in April “for the purity of the trial” as Khumalo, Meyiwa's girlfriend who was in the house when he was fatally shot, is a potential witness.

Thobane said they will also be laying a criminal case against the Ten10 Films production company, which was involved in the Netflix documentary on Meyiwa's October 2014 murder, for defeating the ends of justice.

“We must lay criminal charges against Ten10 Films because they aired the documentary four days before the trial, staging the scene there — what is that?” he said.

Five people are standing trial for the murder of Meyiwa, a former Bafana Bafana goalkeeper in Vosloorus, east of Johannesburg.

Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya, Bongani Sandiso Ntanzi, Mthobisi Prince Mncube, Mthokoziseni Maphisa and Sifisokuhle Nkani Ntuli have pleaded not guilty to charges of premeditated murder, attempted murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, possession of firearms without a licence and possession of ammunition.

LISTEN | Key state witness in Meyiwa trial gives contradictory testimony

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