Senzo Meyiwa trial: Defence wants charges dropped against 4 accused

The defence now wants the charges against four of the five accused to be withdrawn.

Muzi Sibiya, Bongani Ntanzi, Mthobisi Mncube, Mthokoziseni Maphisa, and Fisokuhle Ntuli have since pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, attempted murder, illegal possession of firearms, and ammunition.

They are accused of killing the former Orlando Pirates skipper in October 2014 in Vosloorus.

Advocate Malesela Teffo, who represents the four accused, says the representations will be sent to the head of the National Prosecuting Authority Shamila Batohi, asking her to grant an acquittal.

"We are going to inform the court that we are not going to deal with the issue of jurisdiction on 12 July, but we want to deal with the issue of charges being dropped. Our clients are not the right people for this murder."

In the application, Teffo claims two of his clients were forced to give confessions under duress by a senior police official.

According to Teffo the two clients were serving sentences in prison a the time of the murder.

"The detention of accused one to four is unlawful as the state has no prima facie evidence against them, except to release the accused with immediate effect. The purity of this trial is questionable in both the court and the counsel for accused number five."

The High Court in Pretoria is expected to sit on 12 July to hear an application by Teffo challenging the jurisdiction of the trial being heard in the capital.

The murder trial will continue in September with forensic detective Thabo Mosia as the first state witness.

The NPA in Gauteng could not be reached for comment.