The murder trial of Senzo Meyiwa is set to resume today. Five defendants have pleaded not guilty to all charges in the 2014 murder of former Orlando Pirates goalie Senzo Meyiwa.
The last sitting culminated with the arrest and handcuffing of the counsel for four of the defendants directly inside the courtroom. Minutes before the court adjourned, advocate Malesela Teffo informed the judge that they were getting threats. Furthermore, a police officer whose name was repeatedly mentioned during cross-examination of witness number one died.
The presence of Ten10 Films, which produced Senzo: Murder of a Soccer Star for Netflix, has caused anxiety among the legal representation of accused numbers 1 to 4 in the Senzo Meyiwa trial.
Following the dramatic arrest of defence lawyer Advocate Malesela Teffo earlier in May, it was postponed. Court proceedings were also delayed owing to a disagreement between the defence lawyer and a representative from Ten10 Films.
Senzo: Murder of a Soccer Star, created by Ten10 Films, was released on Netflix earlier this year. The Registrar of the court granted permission to the production firm, however Judge Tshifhiwa Maumela stated that permission was granted because the Registrar believed Ten10 Films was a media house.
Ten10 Films’ lawyer, Winks, argued that major media companies are also businesses. He went on to say that mainstream media was present during the Oscar Pistorius trial, including Carte Blanche, which also produces documentaries.
“Documentary makers are media houses. My client is not relying on the general permission of other media houses. My client submitted an application to the Registrar and it was approved.
“Why is my client being singled out and its Constitutional rights, especially freedom of speech is being limited.”
There is a distinction between a media house and a production business, according to Advocate Teffo, who represents four of the accused in the trial. Ten10 Films is attending the court proceedings, he claims, not for the public good, but for the benefit of their business.