As the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial resumed on Monday, Magdalene Moonsamy, a lawyer for Kelly Khumalo, was once again denied access to the court to monitor events.
At the start of the trial in April, the presiding judge, Tshifhiwa Maumela, had asked Moonsamy to recuse herself to preserve the purity of the trial.
When the trial resumed again yesterday, Monday, November 14, Moonsamy had asked to be allowed into the courtroom, citing that her client Kelly Klhumalo was also a victim of the robbery that the accused were charged with.
Her request to be in court to follow deliberations even as state counsel George Baloyi cross-examined Longwe Twala was denied. According to the judge, she failed to address the court through proper channels.
The judge insisted that she recuse herself from the court. Her request to be present was opposed by both the state and defence counsels, and the judge upheld their opposition.
Senzo Meyiwa was gunned down in what was initially claimed to be a botched robbery at the home of his then-girlfriend, Kelly Khumalo. The event reverberated throughout South Africa, with many calling for justice for the slain Bafana Bafana goalie.
The trial continues, with South Africans following keenly.
