The defense in the Senzo Meyiwa trial is expected to make admissions for new witnesses later Wednesday afternoon after TT Thobane for accused 1 to 4 is done with cross-examining state witness Thabo Mosia and the state has re-examined him.
It’s not clear if the 7 people who were in the house when #SenzoMeyiwa was shot will be included when the defense applies for admission for new witnesses. They’re listed in the 2nd docket as suspects for defeating the ends of justice but not murder. #SABCNews #SenzoMeyiwatrial pic.twitter.com/hLKC39NtVv
— Sipho King K Kekana (@KingKAzania) September 7, 2022
Counsel for the fifth accused Advocate Zandile Mshololo on Tuesday indicated in court she would like Colonel Busisiwe Buthelezi to be called as the next witness after Mosia to verify the authenticity of the statement by the late Brigadier Johan Ndlovu.
Against the state’s objection, Mshololo, on Tuesday, succeeded in getting the statement by Ndlovu admitted in court despite the fact that he has since passed. She argued while Ndlovu was late, Buthelezi who had commissioned the statement on 18 July 2019 was still alive and could be called to testify on the veracity of the statement.
It is not clear if Buthelezi will be the only witness the defense will seek to admit in court with the second docket, which has been a subject of much contestation in the trial, listing the seven people who were in the house as suspects for defeating the ends of justice while nothing is said about the murder charge.
According to the docket, Vosloorus 375/01/2019, opened only almost five years after the incident, Longwe Twala, Kelly Khumalo, Gladness Khumalo, Zandi Khumalo, Tumelo Madlala, Mthokozisi Thwala, and Maggie Phiri should be charged with defeating the ends of justice and says nothing about the murder charge.
Before the tea adjournment on Wednesday morning, Advocate Mshololo concluded her cross-examination of Sergeant Mosia, after questioning him on why he had left the scene to attend two other crime scenes and whether swabs had been taken from the bullet projectile found in the kitchen of the house former Orlando Pirates goalkeeper, Senzo Meyiwa was shot and killed on the night of 26 October 2014.
Mosia has told the court that after some time at the crime scene, he had to leave the scene to attend a business robbery and arson crime scenes in Vosloorus from the Senzo Meyiwa murder scene. In both cases, according to Mosia, there were no people injured but had to attend the scenes, leaving a murder scene, because he treats all scenes equally.
“I treat crime scenes the same. I don’t prioritise one over the other. I received a call while on this scene and it is my job to respond. I had done the basics and I left police officers there and I saw nothing wrong with leaving that scene,” says Mosia.
Mosia has confirmed he is the one who collects swabs from the crime scene, and that no swabs were taken from the bullet that was found on the crime scene. He would not be drawn into answering whether the bullet is what linked the suspects to the scene. #SABCNews #SenzoMeyiwatrial pic.twitter.com/CfiGTCe7Y3
— Sipho King K Kekana (@KingKAzania) September 7, 2022
Advocate Mshololo had kicked off proceedings by questioning Mosia on the absence of Ndlovu’s signature on the scene report, despite having told the court that Ndlovu has signed the report as a proof to indicate that Ndlovu had directed him around the scene.
This was one of the inconsistencies Mshololo had zoomed in on Monday after the late Brigadier said in his statement that he had not directed Mosia around the crime scene.
Thobane for accused 1 to 4 is continuing with questioning Mosia on the scene report he (Mosia) introduced in court after the legal team had concluded their cross-examination led by Advocate Teffo. Thobane is also expected to question Mosia on Ndlovu’s statement which contradicts most part of Mosia’s evidence.
