By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
A ballistics expert Christian Mangena’s cross-examination by the defence in the Senzo Meyiwa trial resumed in the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on Thursday.
Mangena conducted a crime scene reconstruction and bullet trajectory analysis on 27 October 2014, the day after Meyiwa was fatally shot while visiting his girlfriend, Kelly Khumalo, at her mother’s house in Vosloorus, Ekurhuleni.
On Thursday, Mangena explained he conducted tests on third accused, Mthobisi Mncube’s firearm by firing eight bullets.
The witness told the court that he had given the positive match results to four of his colleagues, who reviewed the findings and came to the same conclusion.
The ballistics expert indicated that in his 30 years of experience, he has never had an instance where he found a positive match and a colleague later determined that it was negative.
“As I can recall, there is no case that I did where we differed, “he said.
Mangena also stated that he used at least two firearms during the bullet tests.
“There was a list of 16 cases where there was a request to compare this bullet with those exhibits from the other 16 cases and that was done by somebody else and all of them were negative to the bullet, “the witness revealed.
However, defence attorney Sipho Ramosepele, representing Bongani Ntanzi, argued that the findings were subjective.
Under the cross-examination of Mncube’s lawyer Advocate Charles Mnisi, Mangena testified that he was objective in his analysis.
“I didn’t say I’m going to take sides [as] I didn’t know whose firearm is it, but when I started looking… I saw the marks were sufficient for me to say that this is the right firearm,” Mangena responded.
Mnisi stated that the defence’s ballistic expert would testify and demonstrate that Mncube’s firearm cannot be linked to Meyiwa’s murder, as the results were inconclusive.
“Inconclusive is also a finding. If I say it’s inconclusive, it means I cannot say it’s positive or negative,” the witness replied.
The expert later clarified that while the barrel of Mncube’s firearm was in a distressed condition, it still positively matched the weapon used in the crime.
Mangena emphasised that there were notable “similarities” between the bullet and the exhibits.
Muzi Sibiya, Ntanzi, Mncube, Mthokoziseni Maphisa and Sifisokuhle Nkani Ntuli are charged with the murder. They face charges of premeditated murder, attempted murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances. Also possession of firearms without a licence and possession of ammunition.