Cape Town - Taxi driver Zola Tongo sounded like a stuck record as he testified in the trial of Bristol businessman Shrien Dewani on Monday afternoon as he repeatedly blamed countless discrepancies between his testimony and statements he had made on his memory.
“Things are only reappearing now,” he told the Western Cape High Court as he responded to question after question about contradictions between his testimony in court, his statement under oath to police, and a plea agreement he had entered into with the State.
Tongo is serving 18 years in jail for his role in the murder of Swedish honeymooner Anni Hindocha.
He alleges that Dewani approached him to arrange a hitman for the murder and that he approached Monde Mbolombo, who recruited Mziwamadoda Qwabe. Qwabe brought Xolile Mngeni on board.
Tongo alleges that Dewani asked that the hit be made to look like a hijacking.
It is the taxi driver's sixth day on the witness stand and he has been questioned at length about various versions before the court.
Many of the discrepancies were material.
At times he blamed inconsistencies on Lieutenant Colonel Mike Barkhuizen,who took down his statement, or on Qwabe and Mbolombo, and at times he said he was confused.
However, more often than not he blamed the inconsistencies on the fact that, at the time, he was in a “critical” state and did not recall the finer details.
Those details are only emerging now, he explained.
He even disputed cellphone billing records before the court when it was pointed out that the details in the records did not fit in with his testimony.
Tongo is the 12th State witness to testify in the trial so far.
His cross-examination continues.
IOL