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Accused in Senzo Meyiwa matter alleges ill-treatment at Kgosi Mampuru prison
The better part of Tuesday morning was spent on a letter by accused 3, alleging ill-treatment at Kgosi Mampuru.
Advocate Malesela Teffo and Advocate Zandile Mshololo in the Pretoria High Court during the murder trial of Senzo Meyiwa, 13 June 2022, Pretoria. Picture: Jacques Nelles
By lunchtime on Tuesday, there was still no solution found to the way forward in the Senzo Meyiwa matter.
Initially, the matter was set down for the jurisdiction application today.
The major part of the morning was spent on a letter written by accused 3 regarding what he termed as “inhumane” conditions at the Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Centre.
The accused’s lawyer, Advocate Malesela Teffo pleaded for the letter to be read into the record.
“I am requesting this matter isn’t postponed, there may not be a next time.
“‘I feel his pain. He is not saying prison must be a 17-star hotel, he is saying I am suffering,” Teffo said.
Judge Tshifhiwa Maumela suggested that the court deal with one matter at a time, considering today’s proceedings were meant to deal with the jurisdiction application.
In previous proceedings, Teffo informed the court that he had been instructed by the accused to apply for the presiding judge to be recused as they felt justice would be denied to them.
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Teffo insisted that the jurisdiction of the matter was under the South Gauteng division and he was of the view that the procedure in terms of the rights given to the minister of justice to give jurisdiction had been grossly violated.
The matter is currently being held at the Pretoria High Court.
“This court does not have the jurisdiction to entertain this case,” Teffo said at the time.
The judge said he could not ignore the allegations about the conditions of one of the accused.
“God forbid if there is a corpse, that corpse will be on my Judicial lap,” Maumela said.
As has been the case in previous court proceedings, today’s proceedings also had drama in between.
Advocate Teffo asked and wondered what law school his colleague, Zandile Mshololo attended, that he did not.
The judge then replied: “I am also wondering. I wonder whether it was a day or night school.”
In the last proceedings, the court heard about the existence of two dockets, with the second one implicating singer Kelly Khumalo, who was the girlfriend of the former Bafana Bafana shot-stopper, Meyiwa, at the time of his death.
