Advocate Zandile Mshololo, the lawyer of accused number five in the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial, has accused state ballistic expert Lt-Col Christian Mangena of handling the alleged murder weapon improperly.
During the proceedings at the Pretoria High Court on Friday, Mshololo told Mangena that the manner in which he received the 9mm firearm for ballistic testing was not in accordance with police rules.
Mshololo, who represents Sifisokuhle Nkani Ntuli, was cross-examining Mangena.
Mangena testified in August 2023 that the 9mm gun that was found on accused number three, Mthobisi Prince Mncube, when he was arrested in 2015 for a separate matter, is the same one that killed Meyiwa.
He told the court that 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’s integrity questioned
During the cross-examination, pictures of Mangena’s findings and the crime scene were beamed on a computer screen in the courtroom for all to see.
The defence’s ballistic expert, David Pieterse, was also present in court.
Mshololo told Mangena that the integrity of the way he received Mncube’s gun should be questioned.
“The integrity of receiving these exhibits [Mncube’s gun] was not proper. In this case, that procedure of submitting and receiving exhibits was not followed,” she said.
“The procedure of handling the exhibits was not followed because the exhibit was not sent to the ballistic expert.
“Instead, it was booked out by the expert. You had no right to book out the exhibit at the police station as the expert.
“I put it to you that the integrity of these exhibits, the manner in which they were recovered, handled, and received by the ballistic expert leave much to be desired.”
Mangena responded: “I do not agree with you. I received the exhibits properly and signed them out at the police station.
“You do not agree because you were bending the rules,” said Mshololo.
New state witness to take the stand
Mangena said he did not break any rules. “I was objective in this matter from the beginning till the end,” said Mangena.
Mangena’s cross-examination has concluded, and the trial will continue on Monday with a new state witness expected to take the stand.
Meyiwa was killed while visiting his then-girlfriend Kelly Khumalo in Vosloorus, east of Johannesburg, on October 26, 2014.
Present in the house when he was shot were Khumalo’s sister Zandile, their mother Gladness, Zandile’s then-boyfriend Longwe Twala, and Meyiwa’s close friends Tumelo Madlala and Mthokozisi Thwala.
Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya, Bongani Sandiso Ntanzi, Mncube, Mthokoziseni Maphisa and Ntuli face charges of premeditated murder, attempted murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, possession of firearms without a licence and possession of ammunition.
They have pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
