By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The cellphone data from mobile operator Vodacom showed singer Kelly Khumalo registered one of the cellphone numbers that accused number five in the Senzo Meyiwa murder case called.
Pinky Vythilingam, a forensic liaison supervisor at Vodacom was giving her testimony on Section 205 pertaining cell phone records in the High Court in Pretoria.
She stated during her testimony, which was led by state advocate Ronnie Sibanda, that Vodacom keeps cellphone records for three years and that the information on the core data cannot be changed.
Five men are on trial for the murder of the Bafana Bafana captain who was shot and killed in 2014.
Vythilingam was focusing on phone records from 1 July 2014 until 27 October 2014.
“Call data generated, stored and communicated by the computer system cannot be altered, manipulated or tempered with by anyone while on the computer system. The manner in which the integrity of the call data is maintained is therefore reliable as contemplated in Section 15 Paragraph 3 of the Act.”
She explained that the data is delivered to the investigators in PDF format so that it cannot be tampered with or altered, adding that she had received a subpoena from the police.
“The supbpoena had been submitted for core-related information. The information requested was from July 1, 2014, until October 27, 2014,” she said.
After reading out the six cellphone numbers mentioned on the subpoena, Vythilingam discussed two calls allegedly made to Khumalo by accused number five, Fisokuhle Ntuli.
“The first call was on August 2, 2014, and it was received by number ending 4358 [Khumalo’s number]. The call duration was 110 seconds, and the call came from a number ending in 1330 [Ntuli’s].
“The other extract for the number ending 4358 is a call that lasted 98 seconds; the date was October 15, 2014, at 17.33.57.”
Khumalo registered the 082…4358 cellphone number, according to Vythilingam, who also identified it through Rica.
“It was Rica’d by Kelly Khumalo on July 1, 2011, and the registration end date was January 1, 2015.”
Advocate Sibanda asked how reliable the information is, as the defence has alleged that it is cooked.
Vythilingam responded: “Core data is generated, stored, and communicated by the computer system.
“It cannot be altered, manipulated, or tampered with by anyone. The manner in which the integrity of the core data is maintained is therefore reliable.”
She further revealed that between 7pm and 8pm on October 26, 2014, the night when Meyiwa was shot and killed, Khumalo, Meyiwa and Chicco Twala’s numbers were picked up at the same tower in Spruitview and Vosloorus, east of Johannesburg.