Pretoria – The State’s first witness, SAPS forensic expert Sergeant Thabo Johannes Mosia, is on the stand for the third day in the trial of five men arrested by the South African Police Service in connection with the gruesome murder of the Bafana Bafana ace goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa on October 26, 2014.
Mosia was SAPS’s first forensic analyst to arrive at the scene where Meyiwa was shot in Vosloorus, Gauteng, albeit four hours later. The shooting happened at around 8pm, and Mosia told the court that due to logistical challenges, he only arrived at the scene in the early hours of 27 October 2014.
The High Court in Pretoria heard that the mystery hat collected by Mosia at the Khumalo residence following the shooting of Senzo Meyiwa did not belong to the alleged killers. The hat had been punted as a critical cog in solving the Meyiwa murder, with assertions that it had been erroneously dropped at the crime scene by the assailants.
However, Advocate Malesela Teffo, while cross-examining Mosia, said the DNA testing of the hat had shown that it had been worn by a female.
Teffo asked the police officer if he had been privy to the DNA results of the hat.
Mosia informed the court that although he had sent in the collected items to the forensic division, he was not furnished with the results thereof.
Teffo asked if he was aware that the DNA evidence had shown that the hat had, in fact, been worn by a female and that the silver walking stick, also found on the crime scene, had been used by Zandile Lorraine Khumalo to beat up one of the attackers.
Meyiwa was killed while visiting his girlfriend and the mother of his child, singer Kelly Khumalo.
In the house that day were Meyiwa, Kelly and her younger sister, Zandile, their mother Ntombi Khumalo, Longwe Twala, Meyiwa’s friends Mthokozisi Thwala and Tumelo Madlala, Kelly’s then 4-year-old son, Christian, and Thingo, her daughter with Meyiwa.
Five men, Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya, Bongani Ntanzi, Mthobisi Mncube, Mthokoziseni Maphisa and Sifokuhle Ntuli, are facing charges of murder, attempted murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, possession of an unlicensed firearm as well as possession of ammunition. All of the accused men have pleaded not guilty.
Last week, Teffo asked Mosia to tell the court if the crime scene was tampered with.
“Can you say, in your heart of hearts, that there had been no attempt to tamper with the scene in the form of cleaning?”
The police officer replied: “Since I found some evidence on the floor, it shows that the scene had never been tampered with. I think people had to concentrate on saving the victim, who is the deceased (before calling police).”
Teffo asked: “That is what you are saying? You don’t suspect tampering?”
Mosia: “I do not suspect any tampering. I think the victims on the crimes scene are the ones who delayed in reporting this matter in time due to the fact that they had to take the deceased quickly to the hospital”.
IOL