By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Pretoria High Court has heard eight calls were made between singer Kelly Khumalo and former Kaizer Chiefs footballer David Mathebula on 27 October 2014, the day after footballer Senzo Meyiwa was fatally shot.
Mathebula is the same person whose phone was used when a sim swap was done on Meyiwa’s number.
The SIM swap was done at Cellucity, located at Benmore Gardens Shopping Centre in Sandton, a day after Meyiwa was killed.
This sim swap was again in sharp focus in court with Vodacom official Pinky Vythilingam continuing her testimony but her evidence was once again cut short due to ill-health.
Vythilingam’s cough worsened as she continued with her evidence-in-chief, prompting proceedings to be adjourned once again.
The witness had previously mentioned that she had been unwell recently.
The trial has now been postponed to Tuesday, 11 June, to allow the Vodacom employee to recover.
Vythilingam is a forensic supervisor at Vodacom, has been giving evidence relating to the data retrieved from the cellphones of the accused and Meyiwa.
Advocate Ronnie Sibanda, who presented Vythilingam’s evidence, informed Judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng that the state did not have any additional witnesses on standby.
Hence, the request was made to not hold sittings on Friday and Monday.
“We did not anticipate this happening. We did not line up any witnesses,” Sibanda said.
Regarding the number of witnesses the state planned to call, prosecutor George Baloyi disclosed that the state was nearing the conclusion of its case.
“We are at the beginning of the end of the state’s case. We thought maybe by the close of the term, which I think is around the 22nd of June if I’m not mistaken, we would be close to the end of the state’s case.
“But because of these delays, I think early in the next term we should be able to close the state’s case. There are a few other witnesses left,” Baloyi said.
Mokgoatlheng, in his response, highlighted that the trial has been “dragging and dragging”.
“I once did a trial for five years, but at least there were breaks in between. Now this one is like the Orient Express, it just goes on and on,” the judge remarked.
Meyiwa was with his girlfriend Kelly Khumalo at her mother Ntombi’s home in Vosloorus. They were relaxing over lunch and watching a soccer match with Kelly’s sister Zandile, Zandile’s then-boyfriend, Longwe Twala, and two of Meyiwa’s friends, who were visiting from KwaZulu-Natal.
The occupants of the house told police that two robbers entered, demanding cash and cellphones, before Meyiwa was shot in a scuffle with one of the intruders.
Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya‚ Bongani Sandiso Ntanzi‚ Mthobisi Prince Ncube‚ Mthokoziseni Ziphozonke Maphisa and Fisokuhle Nkani Ntuli have pleaded not guilty to murdering Meyiwa.