The murder trial of Senzo Meyiwa has been adjourned until Monday after almost two hours of noteworthy testimony by Colonel Lambertus Steyn.
Steyn dropped several bombshells including cellphone links between all of the accused, except accused number 4, Mthokoziseni Ziphozonke Maphisa.
The Pretoria High Court heard on Friday, from Steyn, how a SIM swap was done on Meyiwa's phone a day after his October 26, 2014, Vosloorus murder.
The court also heard how there was cellphone contact between Kelly Khumalo and two other accused.
The court also heard how accused number 3, Mthobisi Mncube, had dreadlocks before Meyiwa’s murder. The court was showed pictures which were downloaded from his cellphone upon his arrest.
The five murder accused are:
– Accused 1, Muzikawukhulelwa Sthemba Sibiya,
– Accused 2, Bongani Sandiso Ntanzi,
– Accused 3, Mthobisi Prince Ncube,
– Accused 4, Mthokoziseni Ziphozonke Maphisa, and,
– Accused 5, Fisokuhle Nkani Ntuli.
Cellphone links among the accused
The court heard from Steyn during that there were cellphone links among all of the accused except accused number 4, Maphisa.
According to the cellphone downloads, Steyn said accused number 5, Ntuli, had six numbers at the time of the murder.
When asked who the central figures were in the communications, Steyn said: “It is not certain at this stage but what I can say is that they all know each other. In my opinion based on the downloads, accused number 3 (Ncube) and accused number 5 (Ntuli) were central figures”.
SIM swap after incident
The court also heard that a SIM swap was done on Senzo Meyiwa’s phone number a day after he was shot and killed.
Steyn told the court that not only was a SIM swap done a day after the incident, but that eight calls were made from the SIM-swapped number to Meyiwa's girlfriend Kelly Khumalo's cellphone.
The downloaded call records showed the phone was “off” or “undefined” because there was no handset attached to it due to the SIM swap.
Cellphone links between Kelly Khumalo and suspects
Earlier this week, it was revealed that Kelly Khumalo had received calls from, accused number 5, before Meyiwa’s murder.
On Friday, Steyn said cellphone records showed links between accused number one, Sibiya and Kelly Khumalo.
The court heard how they were in contact after Meyiwa was murdered in Vosloorus on October 26, 2014.
Accused 3 had dreadlocks
Steyn told the court that he had gone through the phone that was downloaded after it was confiscated from Mncube when he was arrested and it was revealed that photos taken from a phone in possession of accused 3, Mncube, showed that he had dreadlocks.
The court heard that the most recent photo showing Mncube with dreadlocks, was taken a day before Meyiwa's killing.
Steyn is expected back on the witness stand on Monday after the court took an early adjournment after lunch time on Friday.
The trial resumes on Monday.
IOL