By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The High Court in Pretoria continued to hear evidence from lead investigator in the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial, Brigadier Bongani Gininda.
Meyiwa was shot and killed at the house of the mother of his then girlfriend Kelly Khumalo, in Vosloorus, on the East Rand, on October 26, 2014.
The people who were present in the house during the murder were Kelly, her sister Zandile, their mother Gladness, Meyiwa, Zandile’s then boyfriend Longwe Twala, and Meyiwa’s close friends Tumelo Madlala and Mthokozisi Twala.
Gininda has told the court that there was evidence alleging that Kelly was central to Meyiwa’s murder.
He said this while he was being cross-examined by advocate Zandile Mshololo, the defence lawyer representing the fifth accused, Fisokuhle Ntuli, in the Meyiwa murder case.
Mshololo said: “Accused number five will further deny that he discussed and planned together with all the accused that are before this court the killing of the deceased at Basotho hostel on the 26 of October 2014, as it has been said before this court.”
Gininda responded: “My lord, that is not what the evidence revealed, because the evidence revealed that there was a meeting on the day the deceased was killed at the hostel.”
Mshololo’s cross-examination came after lawyer Zithulele Nxumalo for accused number four concluded his cross-examination of Gininda, the primary investigator in the case.
She zoomed in to the vehicle that is said to have been used by the suspects in the case as a getaway car from Vosloorus after Meyiwa was shot.
She asked Gininda to share what their investigations revealed with regards to the car. He revealed that the accused drove in a grey VW Polo, which was driven by Ntuli.
“I do not have information of a car with a specific registration; what is contained in the docket is the description of the car on the date of October 26, 2014, when this offence was committed. It refers to a VW Polo, grey in colour, which was driven by accused number five,” Gininda responded.
He added that Ntuli had been using shuttle services to rent cars, though they were unable to find a particular day in 2014 when Ntuli hired one.
Gininda claims that although Bonokama Shuttle Services confirmed renting out one of their cars to Ntuli, they were unable to access the 2014 records due to the company’s liquidation.
However, Mshololo said her client, Ntuli, never drove a Polo, which was described by Gininda on October 26 2014 at Basotho hostel.
Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya, Bongani Ntanzi, Mthobisi Mncube, Mthokoziseni Maphisa, and Ntuli are standing trial for the murder of the late football star.
They have all pleaded not guilty to all charges.
They face charges of murder, attempted murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, possession of an unlicenced firearm, and possession of ammunition.