By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The defence lawyer Advocate Zandile Mshololo, representing accused 5 in the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial said the State was wrong when it presented evidence that the cell phone number used to contact the accused belonged to Fisokuhle Ntuli.
This was said on Thursday, 16 May, at the North Gauteng High Court during the trial of five men accused of shooting and killing the footballer in 2014 in Vosloorus at his then-girlfriend Kelly Khumalo’s family house.
On Wednesday, 15 May, cell phone Data Analyst Gideon Gouws testified that there were 100 calls made between the accused between 18 June 2018 and 3 March 2021. Advocate, Zandile Mshololo, challenged the testimony that the number used by accused five Fisokuhle Ntuli didn’t belong to him but to his cousin, Lungisani Ndwandwe.
“Yesterday, you testified that accused two, Bongani Ntanzi contacted accused five, Fisokuhle Ntuli, two times. Under accused four, Nthokoziseni Maphisa said he contacted accused number five, Fisokuhle Ntuli, 127 times,” Mshololo said.
Gouws agreed, saying: “You said Ntuli also contacted accused one (Muzi) Sibiya 35 times and Bongani Ntanzi 118 times. The same number contacted Maphisa. Ntuli says that number doesn’t belong to him but Lungisani Ndwandwe, his cousin.
Judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng interjected: “How can you say that? You can’t make an assertion like that.”
“I am going to prove to you right now that your investigation team is wrong in giving you this information. I have called this number before we started. And I am going to ask with the court’s permission to call this number from my cellphone and put it on loudspeaker,” said Mshololo.
Judge Mokgoatlheng said that is not allowed. And Mshololo said the owner of the number will come to court and testify.
Mshololo then questioned the reliability of evidence by Gouws he was wrong on this. The trail continues on Friday, 17 May.
Sibiya, Ntanzi, Mthobisi Mncube, Maphisa, and Ntuli are currently on trial for his murder. They have all entered pleas of not guilty.