By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
State expert witness in the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial Col Lambertus Steyn has accused defence lawyer Charles Mnisi of being personal during cross-examination.
This after Mnisi zoomed in on how Steyn revealed a picture to the court that showed Mthobisi Prince Mncube had dreadlocks in 2014 at the time of soccer star Meyiwa’s murder.
People who were with the goalkeeper on the night he was fatally shot in a Vosloorus house maintained one of the two intruders who barged in demanding cash and cellphones had dreadlocks.
Mnisi has conceded the man with dreadlocks is his client, accused No 3, Mncube.
Steyn refused to take part in what he termed an “ID parade” in court.
Mnisi asked that pictures made available by the state be shown to Steyn. The pictures were of men with dreadlocks.
Steyn argued he was a cellphone data analyst and not a picture analyst or facial analyst.
More shocking revelations were heard during the murder trial of former Bafana Bafana captain in the Pretoria High Court on Tuesday.
The state’s new witness, Sergeant Moses Mabasa, took the stand to testify in the trial following the conclusion of his colleague Steyn’s cross-examination.
Mabasa, who is also an analyst within the South African Police Service (Saps), revealed the intricate contents of information extracted from the cellphone of accused number three, Mthobisi Mncube.
His expertise includes analysing information obtained from cell phones, including incoming and outgoing phone calls, SMSs and photograph images.
During his testimony, Mabasa told state prosecutor George Baloyi that pictures of firearms were among some of the pictures on Mncube’s device.
“On picture 37, it’s a picture that says ‘my killing machine’; Thu was taken on 2014/10/06. It’s a silver and goldfish 9mm.
“On page 38, it’s a picture of a rifle and a 9mm on a car seat.”
The court earlier heard that the gunman in the Khumalo home was wearing beige clothing and had dreadlocks.
Mabasa’s downloaded evidence also showed that in 2014, Mncube had dreadlocks and would sometimes wear beige clothing.
On an image downloaded on the day that Meyiwa was killed, Mncube had his dreadlocks in a ponytail. This was evidence led by Steyn.
Mncube was arrested in 2015 for the possession of an unlicensed firearm.
Meyiwa was shot dead at the house of his then-girlfriend and singer Kelly Khumalo in Vosloorus, east of central Johannesburg, on 26 October 2014.
Mncube, Fisokuhle Ntuli, Bongani Ntanzi, Mthokoziseni Maphisa and Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya are on trial for the footballer’s murder.
The suspects face charges of murder, attempted murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, possession of an unlicenced firearm, and possession of ammunition.
The trial will resume on Wednesday morning.
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