General Leshabane appeared as a witness for the defence, where he detailed how he allegedly received information from Constable Sizwe Zungu regarding the murder of former Bafana Bafana captain Senzo Meyiwa.

The testimony focused heavily on a statement Leshabane made in October 2023, as well as his interactions with senior SAPS officials connected to the investigation. Leshabane confirmed under oath that he authored and signed the statement after the trial had already commenced.

During questioning by Mshololo, Leshabane told the court that while he was serving as head of detectives in Gauteng between 2015 and 2016, his investigative team believed that at least two intruders entered the Vosloorus home on the night Meyiwa was killed. He rejected alternative theories suggesting the fatal shot came from inside the house.

A major focus of the testimony centred around information Leshabane claimed to have received from Constable Sizwe Zungu years later. According to Leshabane, Zungu approached him around 2019 with information allegedly linked to suspects connected to the murder.

However, Leshabane insisted that Zungu never told him he was personally present at Basotho Hostel on the night of the murder. Instead, he claimed Zungu said the deeper information came from another individual identified as Gwabini.

The court heard that Leshabane allegedly escalated the information to senior police leadership, including former National Commissioner Khehla Sitole, Lieutenant General Mawele, and Major General Ndlovu.

Leshabane further testified about efforts to trace an alleged murder weapon linked to the information provided by Zungu. He stated that attempts to connect the firearm through forensic testing ultimately produced negative DNA results.

The proceedings also touched on meetings involving former senior police officials, including General Richard Mdluli Sibiya, whom Leshabane said he brought in to independently assess the credibility of the information being provided.

The testimony is expected to remain a major point of focus as the defence continues presenting its case in one of South Africa’s most closely followed murder trials.

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