Court hears 'evidence was planted' at Senzo Meyiwa murder scene

A lawyer representing one of the accused in the Senzo Meyiwa trial said the evidence collected from the crime scene in 2014 was planted. 

Advocate Zandile Mshololo on Thursday continued to dispute the testimony of the state's first witness, Sgt Thabo Mosia. 

“The reason you did not mention the crucial evidence you are telling court now is because these exhibits (evidence) never existed. You never retrieved them from the crime scene and there is no record as to where they were stored because they were planted from the crime scene and there is no tracking record of these exhibits,” Mshololo said as she cross-examined Mosia.

LISTEN | Key state witness in Meyiwa trial gives contradictory testimony

“I cannot say on that one. I do not know,” Mosia replied. 

Meyiwa, a former Bafana Bafana goalkeeper, was gunned down in October 2014 in what was described as a botched robbery in Vosloorus, east of Johannesburg, in the presence of Kelly Khumalo, who was his girlfriend, and her mother Ntombi, sister Zandi, Zandi’s boyfriend Longwe Twala and his friends Mthokozisi Twala and Tumelo Madlala.

Five men, Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya, Bongani Sandiso Ntanzi, Mthobisi Prince Mncube, Mthokoziseni Maphisa and Sifisokuhle Nkani Ntuli, have been charged with premeditated murder, attempted murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, possession of firearms without a licence and possession of ammunition.

They all pled not guilty.

Mshololo questioned why there was no record on how, where and when the evidence was collected and stored.

This was after Mosia told the court that he kept the evidence in his safe. 

“I have a safe in my office, and because the incident happened on the weekend, and the registrar was not at work, I kept the [evidence]  safe there,” Mosia said. 

Mshololo asked why Mosea didn't explain in his evidence that he had kept the evidence in his personal safe. She asked how it was possible for an expert attending the crime scene not to see the exhibit (projectile) that was 2m from another piece of evidence collected.

 “I did not fail to do my proper investigation,” Mosia said.

The trial is expected to resume on Friday. 

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