KRISTEN VAN SCHIE
When metro cop Constable Molatelo Mojela returned to the witness stand in the Jub Jub murder trial yesterday, nobody would have thought she’d still be there five hours later.
Mojela had spent all of Friday testifying how she had conducted the urine and breath-alyser tests on Molemo “Jub Jub” Maarohanye and his co-accused Themba Tshabalala after they crashed their Mini Coopers during an alleged drag race last year. Four schoolboys walking along Mdlalose Street in Protea Glen were killed in the accident, and another two seriously injured.
Maarohanye and Tshabalala now face charges of murder, attempted murder and driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol.
In her evidence on Friday, Mojela testified that preliminary urine tests for both accused proved positive for cocaine and morphine. Tshabalala also failed his breathalyser test.
But defence attorney Ike Motloung second-guessed Mojela’s memory, demanding that she bring her work logbook to court.
Yesterday, Mojela did just that, showing how her tests on the accused were logged as complete at 6.15pm, about two hours after the accident occurred.
Still, Motloung was not satisfied, and over the hours that followed, he grilled her over every detail of the evening of March 8.
What time did she get to work? “Five to six.”
What did she do when she got there? “Spoke to colleagues.”
When were the accused brought in? “At about 6pm.”
How far did she live from the accident scene? “About a five-minute walk.”
Did she know anything about the accident? “I heard sirens around 4pm, so I knew somebody had died.”
Had she visited the scene? “No.”
Why not? “I was getting ready for work.”
Motloung disregarded her comments. “You saw the accident, you came to the scene,” he said. It was impossible that she had concluded Maarohanye and Tshabalala’s tests in 15 minutes, he said, as she was insufficiently trained.
And why had she asked them only about drugs and alcohol? Why hadn’t she tested for codeine, paracetamol, nicotine or caffeine?
“That’s not part of my job,” Mojela said, visibly frustrated.
By the time she was allowed to leave the stand, the constable looked close to tears.
The case was due to continue today.