Defence disputes that Senzo Meyiwa was killed with a 9mm pistol: ballistics expert back on stand

Almost a year after giving crucial evidence, ballistics expert Lt-Col Christian Mangena went back on the stand on Tuesday to be cross-examined in the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial.

Mangena reconstructed the crime scene where Meyiwa was shot.

This is as the five men accused of the murder of the soccer star are being tried in the Pretoria high court.

The defence had to consult their ballistics expert before cross-examining Mangena.

Defence advocate Thulani Mngomezulu, representing Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya, has disputed that Meyiwa was shot with a 9mm pistol and suggested that the murder weapon was a revolver.

Mngomezulu has suggested that Longwe Twala, who was also at the crime scene, was the one who shot Meyiwa; hence, a ballistics test was conducted on Chicco Twala's gun.

“This one bothers me because Chicco was not at the crime scene when this crime was committed. My concern is why they took Chicco Twala's firearm for testing if he was not at the crime scene; that's what bothers me because you said the purpose of doing the examination was to determine whether the exhibits that were found on the crime scene match with the ammunition of a particular firearm. The firearm that was brought to you belonged legally to Chicco Twala; my question is if Chicco Twala was not at the crime scene ... I'll reserve it for Gininda, that question.

“But what can associate Chicco Twala with the testing of that firearm is the presence of Longwe at the crime scene when Senzo was shot — that's how they are linked,” he said.

Mngomezulu said he would prove later on that Longwe fired a shot at Meyiwa.

However, Mangena said he could not comment.

According to evidence already given in court, Chicco's 9mm pistol did not match the bullets found on the scene.

Mngomezulu questioned Mangena on why he had conducted tests on a 9mm pistol while there were witnesses who testified that they had seen a revolver.

Explaining, Mangena said the fact that witnesses testified seeing a revolver doesn't necessarily mean that he was shot by a revolver.

Mngomezulu also pointed out that there was evidence that someone had cleaned the scene and asked if that did not amount to scene contamination.

In response, Mangena said: “It might be contamination, but if she removed some of the things from the scene that didn't affect my findings, all the relevant evidence on the scene I found it there. The position of the bullet was there, the bullet hole was there, and I could find all those things.”

Mangena's ballistics evidence linked the gun to Mthobisi Prince Mncube.

Mncube, Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya‚ Bongani Sandiso Ntanzi‚ Mthokoziseni Ziphozonke Maphisa and Fisokuhle Nkani Ntuli are accused of murdering Meyiwa.

Last August, Mangena's cross-examination was halted for the defence to consult its ballistics expert to counter his evidence.

Mangena, who was also involved in reconstructing the shooting of Reeva Steenkamp by Paralympian Oscar Pistorius and that of whistle-blower Babita Deokaran, confirmed to the court that the gun found on Mncube when he was arrested in a separate matter in 2015, a year after Senzo Meyiwa's killing, was the same one that killed Meyiwa.

He testified he was able to determine this after examining the projectile found on the kitchen counter at the crime scene and test bullets fired from the gun found in Mncube's possession.

Mangena testified the bullet that struck Meyiwa “perforated his body and hit the door behind him”.

He said the shooter was probably in front of Meyiwa, and the firearm came in contact with his chest. He said he could not rule out the possibility of an altercation or struggle between Meyiwa and the shooter.

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