Senzo Meyiwa murder accused claims confession was made after 'torture'

A defence lawyer in the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial has accused a retired police officer of forcing his client Muzi Sibiya to sign a pre-written "confession" statement.

Col Mhlanganyelwa Mbotho appeared for the state at the Pretoria high court on Friday and the state alleges that he is the officer who took Sibiya's written confession statement when he was arrested in 2020.

However, Sibiya's defence lawyer said the accused made the alleged statement under duress and after being tortured. The statement was allegedly made at the Diepkloof police station in Soweto at the instruction of investigating officer Brig Bongani Gininda. 

“My client instructed me that you took him to a private room and told him that he should sign the statement and if not members of the SAPS will continue to assault him until he signs.” said defence's advocate Sipho Ramosepele.

Mbotho denied the allegations, saying Sibiya made the statement willingly.

“He was in a positive mood when he was speaking to me and it would be surprising to me that a person who says he was assaulted three times could arrive at the office while standing on two feet,” he said.

Ramosepele accused state witness Thapelo Monareng, an Ekurhuleni Metro Police officer, of being present when Sibiya was assaulted at two locations, Thembisa and Vosloorus, before he was brought to Diepkloof. 

“My client has instructed me that he was firstly taken to his place which he rented with his uncle, then taken to a building that looked like a municipal building in Thembisa, Lethabong, where his face was covered with a plastic bag suffocating him before taken to Diepkloof,” he said.

The trial is expected to continue next week.