Ballistics expert debunks chances of a different type of gun used to kill Senzo Meyiwa
A ballistics expert disqualified the prospects of a different type of gun being used to murder Senzo Meyiwa.
The court heard testimony from expert witnesses during the week in the trial of the five men accused of the former Bafana captain’s killing.
The State was leading evidence on the gun believed to be used to murder Meyiwa.
The gun was found at accused Mthobisi Mncube’s home in 2015.
Mncube and his co-accused are being tried for the 2014 murder of the Bafana Bafana captain at the home of his girlfriend Kelly Khumalo.
When Meyiwa’s friend Tumelo Madlala, who was in the house at the time of the shooting, read from his affidavit, he stated how the gun used by Meyiwa’s killer had a wheel, meaning it was a revolver.
However, the gun that the State believes killed Meyiwa, which was brought to court in the week, was a 9-millimetre (mm) pistol.
On Friday, the defence explored the prospect that a different gun might have been used to kill Meyiwa.
But based on the bullet used, the ballistics expert, Warrant Officer Cornelius Roelofse, dismissed this.
“A 9mm cartridge is thicker and wouldn’t fit in the 38 Special Revolver.”
This meant that the gun seen by Madlala could not be a revolver.
POLICE SAFEKEEPING EVIDENCE PROCESS UNDER SCRUTINY
Police processes on safekeeping evidence once again came under scrutiny during the trial.
The police officer who first handled the gun believed to have killed Meyiwa testified about how he handled the gun when he was investigating Mncube in a separate murder case.
Roelofse told the court that while guns used to be registered directly with ballistics in the past, they were now registered at the forensic services laboratory’s reception.
Mncube’s lawyer, Advocate Charles Mnisi, questioned the procedures.
“Are you suggesting to this court that the South African forensic science laboratory, particularly the ballistics section, does not follow a specific procedure, with regard to receipt of exhibits?”
Judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng was also critical of the police’s processes.
“Brigadier Gininda took exhibit 2 from Mangena and said, ‘Don’t place this firearm in the usual official internationally recognized storeroom – bring it to me [because] I want to keep it for safekeeping’.
“I mean, look, he took it to his home. So, Mr Mnisi, they break the rules there.”
The State will continue leading ballistic evidence on Monday, with a new witness expected to take the stand.
-EWN
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