Tracking expert tells Meyiwa trial ‘possible’ police took Ntanzi to hospital
A tracking expert told the Senzo Meyiwa trial that the vehicle which was used to transport accused number two, Bongani Ntanzi, may have stopped at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital on the day of his alleged confession.
Expert Michael du Preez, who is the CEO of car tracking company Ctrak, testified in the High Court in Pretoria High Court on Thursday in the trial against five men accused of killing Meyiwa in 2014.
This is the second time that Du Preez sat in the witness box, following a request by the defence counsel for a more precise report of the GPS coordinates of the various places the vehicle transporting Ntanzi may have stopped.
“At 15:43, my lord, it was at the gates of Baragwanath. And at 16:03, that is twenty minutes later, it was already there. It’s possible it could’ve stopped at that location, my Lord,” said Du Preez.
“But given the GPS unlock, it’s pure speculation.”
Du Preez’s testimony is part of a trial-within-a-trial, with the defence for accused number one and two, Advocate Thulani Mngomezulu, arguing against the admissibility of alleged confessions made by his clients.
Mngomezulu has argued in court that Ntanzi was assaulted and brutally tortured into a confession by Ekurhuleni’s disbanded SWAT team on 19 June 2020.
He said the beatings took place in Alberton before Ntanzi was driven to Moroka Police Station in Soweto.
Mgomezulu also told the court that Ntanzi was so badly assaulted that he had to be driven to Baragwanath Hospital by police
This version has been disputed by police witnesses.
Du Preez is expected to conclude his testimony on Friday.
The defence is then expected to go through the report prepared by Du Preez and start with their cross-examination.
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