Publications
- The trial of police officers accused of the murder of Mthokozisi Ntumba continues on Tuesday.
- The State called to the stand the doctor who had consulted with Ntumba prior to his death.
- The witness testified about Ntumba's final moments on that fateful day in March 2021.
The Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg has heard that Mthokozisi Ntumba ''was well'' prior to his death in March last year.
Ntumba had consulted with a doctor just moments before he was shot in Braamfontein during student protests over historical debt.
The four police officers arrested after he died are on trial for his murder in the high court.
Tshephisho Kekana, 27, Cidraas Motseothatha, 43, Madimetja Legodi, 37, and Victor Mohammed, 51, looked on in the dock as the second witness, Dr. Tebogo Sedibe, testified on Ntumba's final moments.
The group faces one count of murder and three counts of attempted murder. The accused had pleaded not guilty to the charges.
WATCH | Wits shooting: 'He was gasping' - doctor who treated victim details final moments
Sedibe, a doctor at MyClinic in Braamfontein, explained that Ntumba was one of his "normal" patients and that he saw him at around 10am.
"He was one of my normal patients that I had seen before. Otherwise, he was well - I gave him medication to use and I booked him off for a couple of days.
The doctor explained:
Sedibe further clarified that because it was an excessive sound, he concluded that it was a gunshot. During cross-examination he added that he did not see any person "shooting at anyone".
The doctor said he went outside the clinic to find his patient lying on the ground gasping for air.
He said his observation was that Ntumba had a wound to his face and another to his chest. In addition, there was a round open wound to the left area of Ntumba's chest.
The court further heard that those wounds were not present when the doctor had consulted with Ntumba, moments prior to his death.
READ | Accused plead not guilty to murdering Mthokozisi Ntumba during student protests
"I tapped him on the shoulder and there was no response. I went to the jugular area [pointed to the neck] to feel for a pulse, and I couldn't find one," he said.
The doctor then decided to perform CPR. He said he did that for 20 minutes until an ambulance arrived.
The paramedics and the doctor continued their efforts. However, Ntumba still showed no sign of life.
"There was no heart activity, [this] means that the person has died," he said.
The trial continues.
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