Four of the five men on trial for murdering soccer star Senzo Meyiwa were seen laughing, giggling and shaking their heads as ballistic expert Lt-Col Christian Mangena was explaining how the test bullets match the crime scene bullet.
During court proceedings on Thursday at the Pretoria High Court, Mangena was cross-examined by Advocate Zithulele Nxumalo. He is the lawyer of accused number four, Mthokoziseni Maphisa.
During Mangena’s cross-examination, pictures of the crime scene and Mangena’s findings were beamed on a screen. The defence’s ballistic expert, David Pieterse, was also present in court.
Expert was testifying using courtroom screen
During cross-examination, Nxumalo asked Mangena to demonstrate how the test bullets fired match the crime scene bullet. He urged him to do so on the computer screen in court.
While Mangena was demonstrating this, accused number two Bongani Sandiso Ntanzi, number three Mthobisi Prince Mncube, Maphisa and number five Sifisokuhle Nkani Ntuli seemed unperturbed. They were laughing and giggling while shaking their heads, presumably in disagreement with what he was saying.
During his demonstration, Mangena said the test bullets he fired positively match the bullet found at the scene of Meyiwa’s murder.
However, Nxumalo said the defence’s ballistic expert David Pieterse will give a contrary testimony. He said Pieterse will testify that the test bullets fired do not consistently match the crime scene bullet. Mangena disagreed.
Mangena has already testified in the trial on crucial evidence about the alleged murder weapon last August. Back then he testified that the 9mm gun that was found on Mncube when he was arrested in 2015 is the same one that killed Meyiwa. Mncube was on that occasion arrested for a separate matter.
Suspects’ body language showed disbelief
In the same testimony, Mangena testified how he was able to determine this. He said he examined the projectile found on the kitchen counter at the crime scene. Also test bullets fired from the gun found in Mncube’s possession.
Meyiwa, the former Bafana Bafana and Orlando Pirates captain and goalkeeper, was shot and killed in Vosloorus, East Rand. The incident happened at the house of the mother of his then girlfriend singer Kelly Khumalo, on October 26 2014.
The people who were present in the house during the murder were Kelly, Kelly’s sister Zandile and their mother Gladness. Also Zandile’s then boyfriend Longwe Twala, and Meyiwa’s close friends Tumelo Madlala and Mthokozisi Twala.
Trial to continue Friday
According to the state indictment, Meyiwa was shot once in the chest while in a standing position. The bullet went through his chest, and exited his back, hitting the back of the door behind him. Cause of death was determined as a bullet which hit his heart and lung.
Sibiya, Ntanzi, Mncube, Maphisa and Ntuli – face charges of premeditated murder. They are also charged with attempted murder and robbery with aggravating circumstances. Possession of firearms without a licence and possession of ammunition charges also.
They have pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
The trial continues on Friday with Mangena’s cross-examination by Nxumalo.
