A police van patrols in front of the house where Senzo Meyiwa was murdered. (MUJAHID SAFODIEN/AFP via Getty Images)
Defence advocate Dan Teffo is expected to poke holes in Sergeant Thabo Mosia’s assertion that the crime scene was not contaminated by senior officers on 26 October 2014, the night Senzo Meyiwa was killed.
Teffo, with a glint in his eye suggesting he believed he had caught Mosia in a “gotcha” moment, produced a three-year-old document written by Mosia, which the advocate believes will contradict the police officer’s earlier testimony.
Mosia is a police forensic officer, and testified a month ago that he had collected the evidence on the night of the crime, as well as taken pictures of the scene. Mosia said the crime scene had not been contaminated.
Teffo, who represents the first four accused in the trial — Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya, Bongani Ntanzi, Mthobisi Ncube and Mthokoziseni Maphisa — produced an affidavit Mosia deposed in June 2019, which the lawyer said formed part of a second docket opened into the footballer’s murder.
Meyiwa was gunned down at the Vosloorus, Gauteng, home of his girlfriend, singer Kelly Khumalo, in what the state alleges was a botched house robbery.
Teffo’s clients, as well as fifth accused Fisokuhle Ntuli, who is represented by advocate Zandile Mshololo, 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.
At the Pretoria high court on Monday, Teffo reminded Mosia what he had said during his testimony on 29 April before the trial adjourned for a month; that Mosia had neither seen nor suspected contamination at the crime scene.
On Monday, Mosia reiterated: “That’s true, my lord, I did not see any contamination. On my arrival at the crime scene, I did not suspect any contamination.”
At that point Teffo asked Mosia to read his 10-page affidavit in full, adding: “Then I will take you on after you [have] read that statement.”
But before Teffo could “take on” Mosia, state prosecutor George Baloyi said the time for adjournment was approaching and asked for the matter to be postponed.
After saying he had no objection to the early adjournment, Teffo told Mosia: “It is an opportune time for you to go through that statement.”
The five accused, who are remanded in custody, are expected back in court when the trial resumes on Tuesday.
Mshololo, representing the fifth accused, has not begun her cross examination of the state’s first witness.