Senzo Meyiwa trial adjourns early as defence wants State to provide pictures and phones of murder accused
The murder trial of soccer star Senzo Meyiwa had to go through another early adjournment after the defence insisted that they wanted all pictures downloaded from the five murder accused's cellphones.
The request was first made by advocate Charles Mnisi, who represents accused number three, Mthobisi Mncube.
Mnisi was cross-examining Constable Sizwe Zungu who was testifying in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on Wednesday.
According to Zungu, he was with Mncube and the other accused on October 26, 2014, the day Meyiwa was murder in alleged botched robbery.
Zungu said he met the five accused in the afternoon at the Basotho hostel in Vosloorus, and they had drinks and food.
In his testimony, he said when he met Mncube, he was wearing a lime T-shirt and a necklace, and later, he wore a brown jacket.
However, in the pictures available in court, there were no pictures where Mncube was wearing a lime T-shirt and a necklace.
Instead, there was a picture of Mncube drinking and wearing a brown jacket.
Zungu insisted that the pictures available in court were not taken at the hostel and were probably taken in another location.
Mnisi said he was unable to continue with the cross-examination as there are questions that he wants to put to the witness, but can’t do it without seeing all the pictures that were downloaded from Mncube’s phone.
He said he wants all the pictures that the State downloaded from Mncube’s phone, and he will also need the cellphone in question.
State Prosecutor advocate George Baloyi said he can skip the pictures and examine the witness on other things.
However, Mnisi said it won’t be possible because he has structured his cross-examination and it will break the sequence of how he wants to proceed with the witness.
Judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng asked other defence lawyers if they also wanted downloads made from their clients’ cellphones.
They all agreed that they wanted to be furnished with data that was downloaded when cellphones were confiscated from the accused.
Baloyi promised to provide the defence with the necessary data and also bring Mncube’s cellphone.
Meyiwa was killed while visiting his singer girlfriend, Kelly Khumalo, at her home in Vosloorus on October 26, 2014.
The five accused in the Meyiwa murder trial are Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya, Bongani Sandiso Ntanzi, Mthobisi Mncube, Mthokoziseni Ziphozonke Maphisa, and Fisokuhle Ntuli.
The matter will continue on Thursday.
IOL