Sgt Thabo Mosia concedes that he was directed as to what evidence to collect. (Photo by OJ Koloti/Gallo Images via Getty Images).
Forensic officer Sergeant Thabo Mosia, the state’s first witness, admitted at the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial that he did not do crime-scene investigations he was assigned to, and did not know where the originals of his evidence collection were.
A Sesotho interpreter had to be called for Mosia as he faced a grilling under cross examination from advocate Zandile Mshololo, who forced the forensic officer to concede that the only evidence collection he performed was at the direction of the late Brigadier Philani Ndlovu, Gauteng’s former head of detectives.
Mosia was testifying on Thursday in the Pretoria high court.
Mosia admitted to Mshololo, who represents Fisokuhle Ntuli, the fifth accused in the trial, that he only took pictures and collected exhibits based on instructions he received from Ndlovu who, Mosia acknowledged, had no experience in forensic investigation.
Mshololo then charged that Mosia’s evidence could not be accepted because “you did not do the duties you were assigned”.
“How can you not do your own investigation, and rely on someone who has no experience in forensic investigation?” asked Mshololo.
“You failed to do the duties that you were there for at the crime scene, the first thing was to take fingerprints from the kitchen door.”
The state alleges that Meyiwa — who died at the Vosloorus, Gauteng, home of his then-lover Kelly Khumalo in October 2014 — was killed after intruders entered via the kitchen door, with the intent to rob.
But Mosia admitted that, not only did he not collect evidence from the kitchen door handle, but also did not do other forensic probes at the scene.
Mosia also conceded that he neither knew whether the information and the direction Ndlovu was giving him was correct, nor tried to ascertain the true facts of the crime scene.
“I wouldn’t know that [if Ndlovu was giving me correct information] my Lord. In fact, I was not supposed to start that crime scene. I was supposed to call the crime scene management team before starting the case,” Mosia testified.
In another telling admission, Mosia said the original folder for the eight pictures he took at the crime scene was taken, without his knowledge, by what he said was the crime scene management team in central Johannesburg and that he could not confirm whether the evidence was not tampered with.
“I don’t know why they booked out my docket because I thought we were the same team,” Mosia said.
To which Mshololo responded: “Today, this court has been denied the opportunity to see the original pictures in this case, as they are printed in Exhibit A [photo album folder].”
The other four accused in the matter – Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya, Bongani Ntanzi, Mthobisi Ncube and Mthokoziseni Maphisa – are represented by advocate Dan Teffo.
They face charges of premeditated murder, attempted murder, armed robbery, illegal possession of a firearm and the illegal possession of ammunition, all of which they have pleaded not guilty to.