The lawyer of one of the five men accused of killing soccer star Senzo Meyiwa has accused a state witness of “fabricating and manipulating evidence”.
Advocate Zandile Mshololo, the lawyer for accused number five Sifisokuhle Nkani, told the Pretoria High Court on Monday during the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial that state witness, data analyst Colonel Lambertus Steyn, “added” a cellphone number belonging to Ntuli to make it as if the number called a cellphone number belonging to singer Kelly Khumalo.
Steyn was testifying under cross-examination on Monday after state prosecutor advocate George Baloyi brought an application last week to have Steyn recalled to clarify the two calls made to Khumalo, Meyiwa’s then girlfriend, to Ntuli.
In July 2023, the court heard from Steyn that there had been two calls to Khumalo on August 2 and October 15, 2014, days before the Orlando Pirates goalkeeper was shot dead.
Insisted Mshololo: “That is where you started manipulating evidence … You added your own information to this transaction.
“You included the number ending with 9202 as if it were the number that called the number belonging to Kelly Khumalo, which is not the correct information according to Vodacom records.
Said Steyn: “My Lord, I am under oath. I would not come to court and lie. I promise [that] I did it when I was under consultation [with Baloyi]. I did it in his presence while I was busy with the consultation.”
Mshololo pressed hard: “Colonel, it does not matter if you did it [the transaction] in consultation with the minister of justice or with the judge president.
“The point I am making to you is that, that is where you manipulated information and inserted the number that does not appear in the Vodacom records.
“The point I am displaying in this trial is that there is contradictory evidence placed before court.
“Your statement reflects other numbers, and Vodacom reflects other numbers. Your evidence is not a true reflection of what is contained in Kelly Khumalo’s cellphone until you receive it.”
A tactic to mislead the court
Steyn denied that he fabricated evidence.
“I cannot agree with her, my Lord. It is clear that she wants to mislead me and the court. It is a tactic to mislead myself and the court,” he said.
“I did not change anything about the information in this download. I stand by my point.”
Meyiwa was shot and killed while visiting Khumalo’s home in Vosloorus, east of Johannesburg, on October 26, 2014.
Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya, Bongani Sandiso Ntanzi, Mthobisi Prince 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. The trial continues.
