Five murder accused of murder of South African soccer star Senzo Meyiwa appear at the high court in Pretoria.Picture: Oupa Mokoena/ Independent Newspapers
Cellphone records of two men implicated in the murder of then Bafana Bafana captain Senzo Meyiwa showed that they were in contact over 100 times via calls and texts.
The evidence was shared by cellphone data analyst Gideon Gouws in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria.
Gouws first testified in April and told the court that he examined cellphone evidence from accused two, Bongani Sandiso Ntanzi, and accused five- Fisokuhle Ntuli.
Ntanzi and Ntuli were both found with cellphones while in prison shortly after they were arrested.
Gouws stated that according to the cellphone data, all the accused were in communication, indicating that they knew each other—a claim they have denied.
Five men—Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya, Ntanzi, Mthokoziseni Maphisa, Mthobisi Mncube, and Ntuli—are on trial for the murder of Meyiwa.
On Wednesday, under the cross-examination by advocate Zithulele Nxumalo who represents accused four- Maphisa, Gouws revealed that Maphisa was in contact with accused one, Sibiya, at least 14 times.
Nxumalo said this was not a surprise because Sibiya and Maphisa were relatives.
Gouws further added that Maphisa was also in communication with accused three Mncube at least 20 times.
The court also heard that Maphisa was in contact with Ntuli over 100 times via calls and texts.
In July 2023, a specialist police officer with extensive analytical experience in analysing cellphone data testified that call records showed singer Kelly Khumalo, who was Meyiwa’s girlfriend at the time, had been in contact with Ntuli.
Steyn told the court that they had established at least two phone calls between Kelly Khumalo and accused five, Ntuli.
He said on August 2, 2014, at 22:40, Kelly Khumalo received a call from Ntuli that lasted 110 seconds. She had been in Kimberley when this happened.
The next call between the two lasted 98 seconds on October 15, 2014, where it pinged on a 2G tower while Kelly Khumalo was in rural Limpopo.
Steyn also found that Kelly Khumalo's phone had been rebooted at 1:31 am, just hours after Meyiwa was shot dead.
He said there were no calls made on her phone on the night Meyiwa died.
The trial continues on Thursday.
sinenhlanhla.masilela@iol.co.za
IOL News.