By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
SA Police Services data expert Gideon Gouws was back on the stand in the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial at the Pretoria High Court to clarify the cellphone evidence.
Five men are on trial for the murder of Meyiwa.
Meyiwa was tragically killed on 26 October 2014 at the Vosloorus home of his then-girlfriend, Kelly Khumalo, in Ekurhuleni.
State advocate George Baloyi presented the data about the cellphone confiscated from Bongani Ntanzi on February 8, 2021. The state contends that this phone was in Ntanzi’s possession until its confiscation. This despite Ntanzi’s claim that police seized it at the time of his arrest on June 16, 2020.
The cellphone data revealed a series of SMS messages received by Ntanzi’s phone at various locations. These include the Impala Platinum area, Freedom Park Tower, and Pretoria North Tower. All the day of his arrest and the following days.
Notably, the court heard that the phone showed no signal from June 17, 2020, to June 26, 2020. This suggested that the phone was offline during this period. Further analysis indicated that the phone received multiple SMS messages and calls while pinging off towers in different areas. These towers included the Queenswood area near the Villieria Police Station, where Ntanzi was incarcerated.
Baloyi argued that the phone’s activity indicated it was with Ntanzi until February 2021, contrary to his claim. Gouws confirmed that the phone remained in the Queenswood area for an extended period. This period included on January 4, 2021, when certain images on the phone were accessed and modified.
During the cross-examination by Thulani Mngomezulu, representing accused number one, the relevance of the cellphone data was questioned. Mngomezulu pointed out that the phone associated with accused number three, Mthobisi Mncube, was not in Vosloorus. This is the crime scene where Meyiwa was shot and killed, from October 26 to October 27, 2014.
Gouws confirmed this, acknowledging that the data did not place Mncube at the scene during that period.
This October will mark 10 years since Meyiwa was gunned down in Vosloorus on the East Rand.
To date, his murder remains a mystery, with the case still unresolved by the courts.
Mncube, Ntuli, Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya‚ Bongani Sandiso Ntanzi and Mthokoziseni Ziphozonke Maphisa are accused of murdering Meyiwa in Vosloorus in October 2014. All have pleaded not guilty.