By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The cross examination of another police cellphone analyst in the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial continued in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on Wednesday.
One of the defence lawyers, Charles Mnisi, made a U-turn on some of the admissions he had made in court as he continued with the cross-examination of another State witness, Sergeant Moses Mabasa.
Mabasa, a cellphone analyst, had testified in court about the photos found in the phone of Mthobisi Mncube, Mnisi’s client.
Some of the pictures found showed a man with dreadlocks. Mnisi had contended that the pictures were of his client, Mncube.
On Wednesday morning, however, Mnisi said that, in some of the pictures, it was not his client in the photos.
“My instructions are that some of the pictures are not of my client, but of a famous Maskandi musician, Mgqumeni.
“It is not accused 3. The person in the other picture is Khulekani Mgqumeni Buthelezi, who died in 2019, and is not accused number 3,” Mnisi said.
Then the fifth State witness in the trial of the five men accused of killing Meyiwa told the court that he was uncomfortable about going to the home of Meyiwa’s girlfriend, Kelly Khumalo.
Mthokozisi Thwala took the stand on Wednesday in the trial of five men accused of gunning down Meyiwa in October 2014.
He told the court that he was uncomfortable going to the Khumalo homestead because he was also friends with Meyiwa’s wife, Mandisa Mkhize.
Thwala explained that even though he was reluctant, he ended up going to the Khumalo homestead after Meyiwa convinced him that this was a chance for him to meet his daughter, a child he had with Kelly.
Bongani Ntanzi, Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya, Mthobisi Mncube, Mthokoziseni Maphisa and Fisokuhle Ntuli are on trial for Meyiwa’s murder.
They face charges of murder, attempted murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, possession of an unlicensed firearm and possession of ammunition.
Thwala, then described how strangely Kelly, refused to hand over some of his personal belongings to his family, days after Meyiwa was shot and killed.
“I remember finding Kelly there, Zandile and a lot of their media friends that were there,” Thwala told state prosecutor, Advocate George Baloyi.
“I then asked to see Kelly. And then Kelly came, and I told her where Senzo’s ID was on her. She then responded that she won’t give me the ID.”
“Do not disclose the conversation. Then what happened after the question of the ID?” questioned Baloyi.
“I then went home,” said Thwala.
Thwala is expected to conclude his testimony on Thursday.
Thereafter the defence for accused number one to five is expected to begin with cross-examination.
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Video Courtesy of ENCA.