Cop who assessed Senzo Meyiwa crime scene admits it was 'challenging'

The crime scene expert who went to musician Kelly Khumalo’s mother’s house shortly after footballer Senzo Meyiwa was shot there on Wednesday told the Pretoria high court that he had to halt investigations and wait for the crime scene management task team to help him.

Sgt Thabo Mosia said it was a conscious decision.

“It was a bit challenging. I had to stop to wait for the task team to come and assist me,” said Mosia.

He was under cross-examination in the trial. 

The former Bafana Bafana goalkeeper was gunned down in October 2014 in what was described as a botched robbery in Vosloorus, east of Johannesburg, in the presence of Khumalo, who was his girlfriend, and her mother Ntombi, sister Zandi, Zandi’s boyfriend Longwe Twala and his friends Mthokozisi Twala and Tumelo Madlala.

Five men, Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya, Bongani Sandiso Ntanzi, Mthobisi Prince Mncube, Mthokoziseni Maphisa and Sifisokuhle Nkani Ntuli, have been charged with premeditated murder, attempted murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, possession of firearms without a licence and possession of ammunition.

They all pleaded not guilty.

Mosia told the court that after receiving a call from Brig Philani Ndlovu and after making means to look for the address of the scene of the crime he met Ndlovu at the scene and acknowledged that there were other officers there, some inside the house.

Advocate Zandile Mshololo has questioned if the police presence and the movements of the house occupants overnight in the house might have compromised the crime scene.

“That can be possible,” Mosia acknowledged.

After going through some photo exhibits, Mshololo asked why Mosia managed to take only eight pictures on his first visit to the crime scene.

Mosia said he might have been prevented by the decision he took to call the crime scene management team to help him.

“They have more knowledge than me,” he told the court. “I was trained but we were instructed to use the task team if the case seemed to be more challenging. My decision of contacting the crime scene management team is the reason I did not further investigate, to wait for them so that we can process the crime scene together so that they can help me,” he said.

Mosia revealed that they noticed the bloodstains only on the second visit to the crime scene.

“I did not notice this bloodstain until the morning,” he said.

He acknowledged that he does not know if Ndlovu left the scene after he handed back the crime scene to him.

Mosia told the court that he had warned the occupants of the house to not move around the crime scene. However, said he said he has no proof of whether they adhered to his warning.

Mshololo also put it to the court that Mosia could have found DNA on the kitchen door handle which was marked as the point of entry.

“You could have found the real results from the main handle of the kitchen door,” said Mshololo.

Mosia said the kitchen door was the most used door in the house so, he decided not to collect any evidence from it.

On Wednesday he told the court that no-one was in the house during investigations.

This is despite him saying in his testimony that the occupants of the house were all confined to the bedroom during the investigation.

The matter continues on Thursday.

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