The first four police officers who attended the Senzo Meyiwa murder scene twice before other law enforcement officials arrived did not notice anything on the kitchen sink before they were asked to leave since the case was high-profile.
This came during the second state witness Patrick Mthethwa’s cross-examination on Friday morning.
Mthethwa says they first arrived at the scene at 20h53 and during that first visit, they only saw cans of beer, a hat, and a crutch which they couldn’t make sense of because there was no one who was there during the commission of the crime to explain exactly what had happened.
He says it was only on their second visit led by the owner of the house, Gladness Khumalo, they got to understand the hat belonged to one of the suspects, the crutch to one of the victims in the house, and a damaged kitchen door presumably hit by the bullet projectile found on the floor.
“It looked like something hit there (on the door). According to my thinking, and because of what we saw on the floor, I think it was a bullet hit,” says Mthethwa.
The first state witness, Thabo Mosia, previously told the court that he had found a bullet projectile on the top of the kitchen cupboard behind the glass jars.
Mthethwa says on their two visits to the house and even when led through the house by Khumalo, they never saw anything on the cupboard until they were asked to leave by the head of detectives Captain Zwane who later arrived followed by Mosia, the late Brigadier General Johan Ndlovu and the task team in that sequence.
Mthethwa insists he saw Mosia at the crime scene and that he arrived before Brigadier General Johan Ndlovu.
“Captain Zwane arrived, then Mosia and then the team arrived, and then we were excused because it was a high profile matter.” #SABCNews #SenzoMeyiwatrial #SenzoMeyiwa pic.twitter.com/Zh7hy6ySfE
— Sipho King K Kekana (@KingKAzania) September 9, 2022
“When we entered the house MaKhumalo showed us around,” says Mthethwa.
“She showed you that bullet hole?” enquired Adv Zandile Mshololo.
“Yes”
Mshololo: “On top of the counter, you didn’t find anything?”
Mthethwa: “Yes”
Mshololo: “After examining everything you then left the house.”
Mthethwa: “The big bosses requested us to leave the house.”
Mshololo: “But eventually you left the house without seeing anything on the cupboard.”
Mthethwa: “Yes.”
Kitchen, sitting room, and bedroom defined
Mthethwa says the cans were found in the sitting room.#SABCNews #SenzoMeyiwatrial #SenzoMeyiwa pic.twitter.com/L41eonBYh5
— Sipho King K Kekana (@KingKAzania) September 9, 2022
During Mosia’s cross-examination, a picture of where the bullet was found in the kitchen behind glass jars came under scrutiny.
Mosia admitted at the time that the picture was only taken the following day when he returned to the crime scene and conceded that he was in no position to tell the court the condition of the area where the bullet was found because he had not taken notice of it during his initial visit at night.
Adv Mshololo at the time argued the bullet was planted in order to link her client to the crime.
Before Advocate Malesela Teffo withdrew from the case, he accused Mosia of being evasive in order to cover up for the blunders by the police at the crime scene of Senzo Meyiwa’s shooting on the night of 26 October 2014.
After years of not much progress reported on Meyiwa’s murder case, the NPA, in 2020, announced a breakthrough in the investigation when Muzi Sibiya, Bongani Sandiso Ntanzi, Mthobisi Prince Mncube, Mthokoziseni Ziphozonnke Maphisa, and Sifisokuhle Ntuli were charged with Meyiwa’s murder, attempted murder of other witnesses, robbery with aggravating circumstances, unlawful possession of a firearm, and possession of ammunition.
All five pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
The trial continues.
Mthethwa says they followed the lead that two men had run towards the park but despite the extra lights on top of the police van and the street lights they didn’t see anyone.
Adv Mshololo has requested the court take an early lunch adjournment. #SABCNews #SenzoMeyiwatrial
— Sipho King K Kekana (@KingKAzania) September 9, 2022
The live stream of Friday morning’s proceedings: