Defence advocate Zandile Mshololo
Defence advocate Zandile Mshololo has poked holes in state witness Colonel Lambertus Steyn’s testimony relating to two calls made by accused number five, Fisokuhle Ntuli, to Senzo Meyiwa’s girlfriend Kelly Khumalo, months before the footballer was murdered on 26 October 2014.
During cross-examination in the Pretoria high court on Monday, Mshololo questioned Steyn on whether the cellphone number that called Khumalo was registered under Ntuli’s name according to the regulation of interception of communications legislation known as Rica.
“It was not Rica-ed under his name. It was Rica-ed but definitely not his name,” Steyn responded.
Mshololo asked Steyn why he was certain that the cellphone number belonged to her client.
Steyn told the court he had received the information from the investigators.
“I cannot tell you that I saw accused number five use the phone to make a call. The investigation team gave me enough evidence to see that the number belonging to accused number five made a call to a number belonging to Kelly Khumalo but they will come to court and tell the court,” he said.
Mshololo dismissed this and asked Steyn not to testify using hearsay.
Last week, Steyn told the Pretoria high court that on 2 August 2014 and 15 August 2014, Ntuli made calls to Khumalo.
Mshololo questioned whether Steyn had picked up any conversation in the two calls made.
“I can only pick up that a call was made from which number to which number, not what was said on the call,” Steyn told the court.
“From your investigation, does your evidence inform this court if there is anything that was conspired between Mr Ntuli and Kelly Khumalo?” Mshololo asked.
Steyn said that if there was, he could not prove it.
The trial started again from scratch last week, with a new judge, Ratha Mokgoatlheng, who replaced Judge Tshifhiwa Maumela, who was suspended for misconduct after failing to deliver judgments within a reasonable period.
The five people on trial — Ntuli, Mthokozisi Maphisa, Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya, Bongani Ntanzi and Mthobisi Ncube — have pleaded not guilty to charges of premeditated murder, attempted murder, armed robbery, illegal possession of a firearm and the illegal possession of ammunition.