CCTV footage from a Kensington home showing suspects involved in the Rhodes Park double-murder and rape case will be used as evidence in the trial of three men implicated in the crime.
Resident Neon Fernandez‚ who lives close to the park‚ testified at Palm Ridge High Court on Monday morning that his CCTV cameras had recorded some of the events that took place at the park on 17 October last year when Zukisa Kela and his friend Sizwe Tyeke were drowned by a group of men who then sexually assaulted their female partners.
Thabo Nkala‚ Edmor Ndlovu and Mduduzi Mathibela are on trial for murder‚ rape and robbery.
Fernandez told the court that Patrick Murphy‚ a member of local crime fighting association‚ visited his house a day after the incident to ask to view his CCTV footage.
“He told me about what had happened and made a request to see the cameras. He managed to find what he was looking for and saved it in his flash drive‚ and I also kept a copy‚” Fernandez said.
Although Fernandez was not asked what the footage showed‚ Sowetan has been reliably told that it clearly shows a group of people walking out of the park minutes after the incident.
Fernandez said he serviced his cameras a few times and that their dates where set incorrectly - by a day ahead. However‚ it saved footage for a month before it deletes it automatically.
Defence counsel Robert Xaba tried to quiz him on the incorrect dates but stopped when acting Judge Jonas Mosopa asked him if he was questioning the validity of the footage.
The trial had resumed following a five-day postponement last week after Ndlovu fell sick and was experiencing breathing problems. He was admitted to Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital. He was discharged last Friday.
– TMG Digital/Sowetan
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