Retired police colonel and cellphone analyst Lambertus Steyn has shed light on why singer Kelly Khumalo was not a suspect in the Senzo Meyiwa murder case.
Steyn revealed this when he took the stand on Tuesday. He was continuing with his testimony in the trial of ex-Pirates and Bafana captain’s murder in the Pretoria High Court.
Cellphone records earlier shown in court by Steyn highlighted a communication between Khumalo and one of the five accused, Fisokuhle Ntuli. Khumalo was then Meyiwa’s girlfriend.
Kelly erased her cellphone data
Steyn told the court on Monday that the singer had erased her phone data. This had made it more difficult for them to conduct a thorough investigation into its activities.
He told the court that he only started working on the data analysis six years after the murder. This was when he assisted Brigadier Gininda, who was appointed to work on it.
During his cross-examination on Tuesday, Advocate Thulani Mngomezulu asked questions based on Steyn’s testimony.
“So after a period of six years that’s when you conducted the analysis? From 2014 up until 2020 there was no analysis done?” Mngomezulu asked.
Steyn agreed.
“However, there was analysis that was done. But when Brig Gininda was appointed he asked me to assist him,” he said.
Mngomezulu asked Steyn to re-read his statement about Khumalo’s being not a suspect but a person of interest.
Not a suspect, but person of interest
“I’m concerned by the statement that Kelly Khumalo wasn’t a suspect but a person of interest. What do you mean by that?”
“Because she was one of the people inside the house. She was one of the witnesses at that stage,” Steyn replied.
Mngomezulu questioned how Khumalo’s cellphone was wiped a day after the murder of her late lover.
“You talk about the rebooting. Is it rebooting or reset?”
“It’s the same thing. You go to factory settings and give instruction to delete everything in your phone,” said Steyn.
Kelly communicated with one of the accused
“In paragraph eight of your affidavit, you were adamant that Kelly Khumalo communicated with accused number five.”
“That is correct,” Steyn responded.
Meyiwa was shot and killed in October 2014 at the Vosloorus home of his then-girlfriend Khumalo.
In response to the allegations in the trial, five men have entered not guilty pleas. They are Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya, Bongani Ntanzi, Mthobisi Mncube, Mthokoziseni Maphisa, and Fisokuhle Ntuli.
The trial continues.
