Colonel Mandisi Mngwadleka, the state forensic ballistic analyst, has linked the cartridge case found at Sisa Dukashe Stadium to one of the firearms belonging to EFF leader Julius Malema’s personal protector Gerhardus Adriaan Snyman.
Mngwadleka told the East London regional court on Thursday that he tested about 40 different types of firearms from Tactical Response Security, a company owned by Snyman.
The company was responsible for Malema’s security during the EFF’s fifth birthday celebration rally at Sisa Dukashe Stadium in Mdantsane, East London in 2018.
Malema and Snyman are charged under the contravention of the Firearms Control Act after a video emerged showing Malema allegedly firing a rifle while on stage.
Malema and Snyman have pleaded not guilty to the charges and offered no plea explanation.
“I found that the neck marks were consistent with the firearm, not only in one position but in different positions,” said Mngwadleka.
He said the breechblock of the firearm was changed after Malema’s alleged shooting incident before it was handed over to authorities, but he could still link the cartridge to it.
Mngwadleka also tested the ejection pattern of the cartridge from the rifle and said it ejects it to an average of 2.5m to the left or 1.2m to the right.
This is expected to be among the arguments that the defence team will pick on since the cartridge case that was found at the stadium was about 23m away from the stage where Malema had addressed hundreds of EFF supporters.
Cross-examination is set to continue on Friday morning.
Follow @SundayWorldZA on Twitter and @sundayworldza on Instagram, or like our Facebook Page, Sunday World, by clicking here for the latest breaking news in South Africa. To Subscribe to Sunday World, click here.
