Senzo Meyiwa trial: Cop found 2 bullet holes but refuses to say if crime scene was compromised

A witness in the murder trial of Senzo Meyiwa says he only discovered two bullet holes at the crime scene where the former Bafana Bafana captain was shot.

Police warrant officer, Thabo Mosia, returned to the witness stand at the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on Thursday to give his evidence.

Testimony

Mosia, who is a former constable at the criminal records centre in Springs, was responsible for collecting and processing all the evidence he found at the Vosloorus home belonging to Kelly Khumalo’s mother, where Meyiwa was shot on 26 October 2014.

The officer on Wednesday had testified that he was on standby duty as the crime scene investigator when he got a call about a crime scene in Vosloorus.

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He said he arrived at the Khumalo home around 12:20am on 27 October to find Brigadier Philani Ndlovu at the scene.

Although warrant officer Thobeka Mhlahlo was responsible for photographing the crime scene, Mosia indicated that he also took some images.

WATCH: What you need to know about the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial so far

Mosia, who is now attached to a local criminal record centre in Secunda stationed at Standerton satellite service point, revealed that some of the exhibits collected included a fragmented bullet, a walking stick and a hat.

Bullet projectile

Continuing with his evidence on Thursday, Mosia said he returned to the house around 6am on the morning after the shooting.

He told the court he had to leave to attend to another crime scene.

The office said he and four other police officers noticed a bullet hole on the kitchen door, however, it was not penetrated.

Mosia said a bullet was found on the kitchen counter after two glass jars were moved by warrant officer Thobeka Mhlahlo.

“We searched and traced on the kitchen top which is where we found the bullet projectile,” he said.

There was also a bullet hole on a floor tile.

The officer said after assessing the scene for exhibits, the team started looking for fingers prints.

READ MORE: Senzo Meyiwa trial: Police witness ‘shooting blanks’ with firearm testimony?

Mosia later indicated that he sent the evidence he compiled to the laboratory and handed in the exhibits in person on the same day.

Following a tea break, Mosia was quizzed by Advocate Sipho Ramosepele, who is the lawyer for Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya and Bongani Sandiso Ntanzi.

The officer revealed during the cross-examination that he was the first investigator to arrive at the house and pointed out that he only took eight photos of the scene because his camera was not taking quality pictures.

He said he examined the kitchen and sitting room in search of a bullet or cartridge case.

Watch the proceedings below:

Ramosepele: “In the kitchen specifically… searching for projectiles and shell cases, where did you look?”

Mosia: “I checked on the floor where I saw the bullet hole. I also checked the kitchen door and I realised the bullet didn’t go through and I thought to myself perhaps it had fallen between the layers of the door, but I did not find that bullet.”

Furthermore, the officer agreed with the advocate that he would not rule out the possibility that the bullet rebounded off the door.

Mosia also told the court that he found only two spots hit by a bullet after a witness in the trial testified that three gunshots were fired during the incident.

He pointed out that he did not see any blood droplets by the kitchen door.

Scene compromised?

Ramosepele turned to Mosia’s 2019 statement where the officer expressed concern that the crime scene may have been compromised because the incident was only reported four hours later.

“Every crime scene should be attended without any time wasting. The delay in attending to the crime scene might compromise the scene,” Mosia responded on Thursday.

The officer further agreed with Ramosepele that unauthorised persons on scene could contaminated it, but refused to say whether the scene was indeed compromised.

Ramosepele: “You are right to be concerned that you were called four hours later because evidence led in this case that one of the neighbours, Maggie Phiri, removed several alcohol containers because she didn’t want police to see people in the house were drinking and furthermore that she cleaned the scene before the police… any comment on that?”

“I understand, but I cannot [make a] remark pertaining that,” Mosia responded.

Earlier, the officer had highlighted that he called a “Captain Mathebula” who then assigned a task team to come and help ensure the crime scene was properly processed.

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