One of the men accused of killing Senzo Meyiwa, Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya. File picture: Jacques Naude, Independent Newspapers
ONE OF the five men accused of killing Senzo Meyiwa, Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya, has been found guilty of possession of drugs and illegal ammunition.
Sibiya appeared in the Thembisa Magistrate's Court on Tuesday.
The drug charge dates back to 2019, when he was found in possession of 10 sachets of drugs in the Vusumuzi section of Thembisa.
He was arrested again on May 30, 2020, when police found live ammunition placed in a plastic bag in his shack in Thembisa.
At the time, he told police that the gun was with his friend at Vusumuzi Hostel.
The police went with him to the hostel to look for the gun but didn’t find it.
An officer testified in the high court that after an unsuccessful search for the gun, she took the opportunity to question Sibiya about his alleged involvement in Meyiwa’s murder.
“When he responded to the question, I could see that he was making admissions. I reminded him of his constitutional rights, and he went further to tell me,” said Sergeant Bathobakae Mogola at the time.
In court, Sibiya denied voluntarily confessing to Meyiwa’s murder and said he was tortured and was coerced to sign the confession statement.
The high court is currently in a trial-within-a-trial to determine whether the confessions made by Sibiya and Bongani Ntanzi were made under duress or willingly.
Sibiya is already serving 12 years in prison for attempted murder. He was sentenced four days before he stood trial for the murder of Meyiwa.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), in 2015, Sibiya tried to murder Ntombenhle Ndaba his new cellphone went missing at Basuthwini Hostel in Vosloorus.
He allegedly shot Ndaba 25 times, with one of the bullets hitting her in the chest and narrowly missing her heart.
He paid her family R5,000 in compensation.
He also shot Mfanelo Mbatha, who also survived. Again, after Mbatha was shot, Sibiya’s family compensated his family with R5,000.
The NPA added that he also allegedly shot his girlfriend in December 2014 after she threatened to blow the whistle on him for his alleged involvement in the murder of Meyiwa after he confided in her.
The case is still pending.
He will be sentenced on January 18, 2024, for the drug and ammunition charges.