Mancoba Seven Angels trial judge calls on police to use 'modern technology'

The judge in the Mancoba Angels murder trial has advised police to use audio or video recordings when interviewing or taking statements from suspects instead of writing notes by hand.

Mthatha judge Robert Griffiths, who is presiding over the Ngcobo police massacre trial, said this approach could have helped both the SAPS and the court, and saved time in court proceedings.

This was during the third day of the trial-within-a-trial, where all five accused, who had confessed to police on February 2018, now claim they were forced or coached into making confessions and pointing out the five crime scenes.

On Friday, Griffiths said: ''Why are police not using modern technology like sound recording, or other technologies like video recording, when taking statements?

“Making use of these modern technologies could assist both police and courts when dealing with these matters and have less time spent on a trial-within-a-trial.

“We have spent three days dealing with only one witness. If there was usage of these technologies there could have been very little time spent on this and limited chances, if any, for everyone to deny their actions and activities.

“A lot of time has been wasted trying to ascertain the truth.''

Five members of the Mancoba family, who ran the Seven Angels Ministries Church cult, Andani Monco, 32, Kwanele Ndlwana, 24, Siphosomzi Tshefu, 26, Siphesihle Tatsi, 22 and Phumzile Mhlatywa, 48 are facing 22 counts including five counts of murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, attempted murder, and unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition.

They are accused of attacking  and robbing Ngcobo police station of 10 firearms and killing five policemen on February 21 2018.

The accused have appealed to Griffiths to declare the confessions and pointing-out of five crime scenes inadmissible, claiming they did not do them voluntarily but were beaten and coached.

Hawks  Mthatha-based member Warrant Officer Zwelenkosi Diko, who is part of the investigation team of detectives, has spent three days in the witness box since the trial-within-a-trial started on Wednesday.

More witnesses are expected to be called.

Diko said the accused were trying  to extract sympathy  from the court.

''We could not have known as police how the crime unfolded, and all the elements of the crime, but it was the accused themselves who told us about that,'' Diko said.

He agreed with the judge that almost every day there was a trial-within-a-trial in a court somewhere where the accused denied having made voluntary confessions and claimed police torture.

''We have for many years been asking our managers to supply us with audio and video [equipment] for exactly this purpose, but unfortunately up until now we have not been supplied with any,” Diko said.

“I agree with the court that we need these. It is bad that serious allegations of police torture are falsely made by the accused.

“This makes some members of the public believe such accusations, because we do not have proof of our work except the written statements, and in court it is their [the accused’s] word against ours."

Griffiths urged Diko and other police officers to request senior police management for audio and video recording equipment.

lulamilef@dispatch.co.za