Johannesburg - Songstress Kelly Khumalo was in contact with one of the five men just weeks before Orlando Pirates soccer player Senzo Meyiwa was shot and killed at her Vosloorus home in 2014.
As the murder trial against Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya, Bongani Sandiso Ntanzi, Mthobisi Prince Mncube, Mthokoziseni Maphisa and Sifisokuhle Ntuli got under way in the High Court in Pretoria yesterday, startling information was revealed by the State’s latest witness.
Colonel Lambertus Steyn from the SAPS National Cold Case Investigation Unit was called to testify following the conclusion of the testimony of a neighbour to the Khumalo home, Nthabiseng Mokete.
According to Steyn, from the information they retrieved, it was discovered that the fifth accused, Ntuli, had called Khumalo on at least two occasions before the soccer player’s shooting on October 26, 2014.
Steyn testified that he (Ntuli) called her on August 2, 2014, as well as on October 15, 2014, with the first call lasting 110 seconds and the second phone call lasting 96 seconds.
Steyn, a qualified data analyser with 41 years of experience, had earlier testified in court about how they downloaded the data from the cellphones of the occupants of the house and also outlined the software they use to download data on cellphones.
He said other means used to prove that the number belonged to Khumalo were picking up links from family and friends, the expert decision system, the central database, the police crime administration system and eNatis.
Steyn said he was requested to profile all the targets and suspects identified by his team, which included the occupants of the house on the night Meyiwa was called.
He said the investigating team also wanted to establish if they were first-time offenders, if they were licensed to carry firearms, and if he could determine if there were connections between the suspects in the dock and the people in the house.
The officer said, however, that they could not analyse the phones of the accused as five years had already lapsed.
The five men are currently on trial for the murder of Meyiwa, which was alleged to have been a botched robbery.
They face charges of murder, attempted murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, unlawful possession of a firearm and unlawful possession of ammunition.
Ntuli is the second assailant identified during the course of the trial to date, as Ntanzi was identified from the dock by Zandile Khumalo in earlier proceedings.
The trial is to continue today with the evidence of Steyn.
The Star