Affidavit at Meyiwa trial implicates accused number 2 as a hitman

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Accused number 2 in the Senzo Meyiwa trial, Bongani Ntanzi, was described as a gun supplier and hitman. This was revealed in one of the witness statements read by lead investigator Brigadier Bongani Gininda at the High Court in Pretoria.

Five men are on trial for the murder of the Bafana Bafana captain who was shot and killed in 2014.

Gininda is in the witness stand in the trial within a trial as the defence challenges the admissibility of confession statements made by some of the accused.

The defence worked through almost 70 affidavits contained in case dockets, still under investigation. Brigadier Gininda read out a statement by Simphiwe Buthelezi, one of the informants, who directed the police to accused number 2, Bongani Ntanzi.

In the statement, it is alleged Ntanzi was a well-known firearm and ammunition supplier, who supplied illegal firearms to various parts of the country.

“Bongani Ntanzi, he is a firearm supplier and ammunition. Bongani Mafika Ntanzi is working together with Basotho Nationals. They supply the hitmen with firearms and ammunition around the country. We supplied firearms to other people especially in KwaZulu- Natal as there was a high demand of unlicensed firearms and ammunition,” the statement reads.

The written statement also states that Ntanzi allegedly supplied illegal firearms in the Marikana region, in the North West province and was heard talking about murdering a mine union member.

“Bongani Ntanzi was staying in Rustenburg and making money securing firearms. He also supplies more firearms in Marikana and Bongani Ntanzi invited me to visit him where I overheard him talking to Maphisa on the phone that they did a good job by killing a union member in Marikana. I heard that the person that was killed is a big person and very powerful. And I asked him if he has also started killing people, and he said to me, it is a man’s job that he had to do because he needs money to make a better living, and I warned him about it.”

While in Vosloorus on a different date, Buthelezi details in the statement hearing attempts to bribe the police and the alleged involvement of the five accused in the Meyiwa murder.

“I went to Vosloorus and heard Muzi Sibiya hit his girlfriend with regards to the Senzo Meyiwa case. His father further paid a policeman to cancel up the case. I also heard that Bongani Ntanzi, Maphisa, Carlos, Nkani, Ntuli are involved in the murder of Senzo Meyiwa. I was very angry at them because they had killed a very important person who was a national goalkeeper of our football club.”

Buthelezi died in 2022.

Cross examination of Brigadier Gininda will continue, when the trial within a trial resumes.