By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The bullet projectile recovered from the crime scene where former Bafana Bafana captain Senzo Meyiwa was murdered was fired from the gun confiscated from accused 3 Mthobisi Mncube.
This was revealed by ballistic expert Lieutenant Colonel Christian Mangena when he took the stand at the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on Wednesday, 30 August.
Mangena has told the court his findings were further confirmed by four other police officers and the state has confirmed that one of those officers will also be called to give testimony in court on the findings.
He also says the bullets found in the blue box were of the same nature as the projectile that was found on the scene.
The accused smiled when they were shown a pistol that Mangena says fired the shot that killed the former goalkeeper at Kelly Khumalo’s home in Vosloorus.
However, as proceedings continued different emotions were displayed on their faces, at times some of them looking down as Mangena detailed the findings of his investigations.
Mangena has told the court how he had in 2020 done tests on the gun that was found in accused 3’s room in 2015 before it could be destroyed.
The gun was ordered for destruction in 2017 after had been positively linked in a different case that was concluded relating to taxi violence in 2020. But according to the exhibit store commander, Captain Bonginkosi Mtshali, the paperwork that followed delayed the destruction process until the gun was booked out by Mangena three years later in relation to Meyiwa’s murder.
Mangena also revealed that two shots were fired inside the house; the first one was fired on the floor at an angle of about 90 degrees while the other shot was fired in the direction of the door at a slightly downward angle.
“The bullet damage on the door had characteristics of an unstable bullet. The unstableness could have been as a result of an intermediate target between the firearm, it could have been the deceased,” he explained.
Zandile Khumalo previously testified that three shots were fired during the alleged botched robbery.
Five men are on trial for the murder of the soccer star, Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya, Bongani Ntanzi, Mthobisi Prince Mncube, Mthokoziseni Maphisa and Fisokuhle Nkani Ntuli.
Watch Live in the video below:
Video Courtesy of ENCA.