Accused celebrated Meyiwa’s death with whiskey, claims witness

Colonel Skhumbuzo Zungu, who served in the South African Police Service for 12 years, took to the stand on Thursday as a state witness. 

Zungu also told the court that one of the accused, Muzi Sibiya, announced Meyiwa’s death.

“Muzi then took off a red t-shirt that he was wearing and rolled it in his hand. He pulled something out to stand on, and he was carrying a bottle. He then asked: ‘Have you heard that Meyiwa is no more?’

“They celebrated his death with a bottle of whiskey.”

Sibiya, Bongani Ntanzi, Mthobisi Mncube, Mthokoziseni Maphisa and Fisokuhle Ntuli are on trial for Meyiwa’s 2014 murder.

Zungu told the court that all five men were known to him and that he spent the day of Meyiwa death with them.

He testified that he knew some of the accused from back home in KwaZulu-Natal. 

He said accused number one, two, three and five were all present when he arrived at Sotho Hostel on 26 October 2014 between 14:00 and 15:00. 

He was there to visit his nephew, Gwabini Zungu.

Zungu said that the men soon left the hostel, only to come back later that night “looking shocked”. 

This, he said, happened between 20:30 and 21:30. 

“When I looked at them, both Gadla (Mncube) and Muzi (Sibiya) were carrying firearms while Mafika (Ntanzi) did not have firearms. Accused one was carrying a firearm of the .38 revolver, and accused number three was in possession of the 9mm.” 

According to witness testimony, Meyiwa was killed with a 9mm parabellum.

This is the same gun that linked Mncube to the murder of a taxi chairperson in Alexandra in 2016. 

He was arrested and convicted of murder and the possession of an illegal firearm. 

Later, Mncube would also be linked to Meyiwa’s death.

A ballistic expert has testified in court that the bullet that killed Meyiwa was fired from the same firearm that was confiscated from Mncube.