Warrant Officer Thabo Mosia insisted that all the evidence that was collected at the murder scene of former Bafana Bafana captain Senzo Meyiwa was packed properly and kept safe at all times.
Mosia was the first crime scene investigator to arrive at the scene.
He was under cross-examination at the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on Monday.
Advocate Zandile Mshololo, who represents one of the five men accused of brutally killing Meyiwa, asked Mosia how he ensured that the exhibits were not tampered with.
"When I attend crime scenes, all the exhibits are kept with me. As long as all the exhibits are packaged properly, there’s nothing wrong with that," said Mosia.
Seeking clarity, Mshololo asked whether he had the exhibits the whole night.
Mosia said before going home, he took the exhibits to a safe which was at work.
"The key to the safe was with me. The key to the office was with me, and our office operates 24/7," he said.
Mshololo disputed Mosia’s statement, saying there was no one who signed that he kept the exhibits in a safe place.
"I disagree with that ... I have explained that we worked tirelessly on that day, and when we got to the office, the exhibit clerk was not there, and the safest thing to do was to put the exhibits in a lockable safe for safekeeping,’’ he replied.
He said the exhibits were only recorded the next morning.
On Thursday, Mosia admitted that he didn’t take swabs of the kitchen door where the alleged intruders entered, his reason was that a lot of people had come in contact with the door.
Earlier, Mosai testified that he did not perform a gun residue test on any of the people who were in the house, this includes Kelly Khumalo and her younger sister, Zandile, their mother, Ntombi Khumalo (MaKhumalo), Longwe Twala, Meyiwa's friends, Mthokozisi Thwala and Tumelo Madlala, Kelly's then four-year-old son, Christian, and Thingo, her daughter with Meyiwa.
The five accused in the Meyiwa murder trial are Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya, Bongani Sandiso Ntanzi, Mthobisi Mncube, Mthokoziseni Ziphozonke Maphisa, and Fisokuhle Nkani Ntuli.
They are facing charges of murder, attempted murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, and unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition.
The trial continues.
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