The long-running Senzo Meyiwa murder trial resumes today, August 7, in the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria, with a major turning point expected as the defense moves to have the charges dismissed against the five accused under Section 174 of the Criminal Procedure Act.
The application comes after the state officially closed its case on July 24, 2025, following nearly three years of proceedings that included testimony from dozens of witnesses and complex forensic submissions. The five men on trial—Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya, Bongani Ntanzi, Mthobisi Mncube, Mthokoziseni Maphisa, and Fisokuhle Ntuli—face charges of murder, attempted murder, armed robbery, and illegal possession of firearms linked to the 2014 killing of Bafana Bafana captain Senzo Meyiwa.
The defense is expected to argue that the prosecution has failed to establish a credible case, citing a severely compromised chain of evidence, internal contradictions in witness testimonies, and the state’s decision not to call critical witnesses—most notably singer Kelly Khumalo, who was present at the scene when Meyiwa was shot.
Legal experts say the outcome of this Section 174 application could be pivotal. If the court finds that the state’s evidence is insufficient to support a conviction, the charges against the accused could be dismissed without the defense needing to present its case.
The trial has captured national attention for nearly a decade, marked by delays, allegations of cover-ups, and public outcry over the lack of accountability in one of South Africa’s most high-profile murder cases. Today’s proceedings could signal whether the court believes the state has done enough—or whether this case, too, risks collapsing under the weight of unresolved questions and fractured evidence.
