If Bongani Ntanzi was suffocated with a plastic bag, there would be no way to tell as marks fade, state witness says

Senzo Meyiwa murder accused Bongani Sandiso Ntanzi's right to privacy was breached by the dentist who examined him in 2020, his advocate Thulani Mngomezulu claimed on Friday.

Mngomezulu put it to dentist Dr Thabang Hlokwe that he infringed Ntanzi's privacy and exceeded the scope of his instruction as the lawyer contested that Ntanzi had not given his consent to be examined.

Mngomezulu asked Hlokwe if Ntanzi had given consent to be examined.

“I would say we were given because the standard is that we ask the patient. When we examine a patient we tell them what we are going to do first and if they say they agree we go ahead. The patient did allow me to assess him,” Hlokwe said.

Hlokwe was the last state witness on Friday in the trial-within-a-trial in the Pretoria high court to determine the admissibility of confessions allegedly made by Ntanzi and co-accused Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya.

The court previously heard the two confessed to knowing the circumstances of Meyiwa's murder in Vosloorus. However, they claimed the confessions were made under duress and alleged they were beaten and tortured by police.

Hlokwe testified he examined Ntanzi in June 2020 in Tlhabane, North West.

Ntanzi's examination was from the waist up and included an inspection of his head, oral cavity, face, nose and neck. 

Hlokwe said there were no signs Ntanzi had been assaulted. 

He also could not see any sign of electrocution.

“There were no marks that he was choked and on the face there were no lacerations. It was a normal person who was not in a severe altercation.”

Hlokwe said if Ntanzi was suffocated with a plastic bag, there would be no way to tell during his examination because the marks would no longer be visible as they fade.

He said he did not ask Ntanzi to remove his clothes after not seeing any physical injuries.

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