The murder trial of soccer star Senzo Meyiwa had to go through another early adjournment after the defence insisted that they needed ample time to go through cellphone data that the were only given on Monday.
The request was first made by advocate Zandile Mshololo, who represents accused number 5, Fisokuhle Ntuli.
This is after State prosecutor, advocate George Baloyi, told the court that he wants to call a cellphone analyst to testify about data that was downloaded from Ntuli’s phone and accused number two, Bongani Sandiso Ntanzi.
The accused are appearing in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria.
Mshololo said she asked to be furnished with the documents in September before the court went on recess, but she only received the documents on Monday.
She said she needs at least two days to go through the pictures and she will also need to consult with Ntuli.
She further added that she can’t ask someone to stand in for her during the two days because she doesn’t know what evidence will be led on those days.
“I do that arrangement when I know what exactly will be dealt with on that day,” she said.
Advocate Charles Mnisi, who represents accused number three, Mthobisi Mncube, said information that comes in bits and pieces throws the defence off course.
He said the document which was handed over by the State on Monday was not only pictures with three pages, it was voluminous.
“Because that information switches our mind from what we are busy doing at that particular time and now we must concentrate on something that is totally different. Its burdensome and prejudices the manner in which we would prepare for trial,” he said.
Mnisi said it’s wise that all legal representatives of the accused go through the documents and formulate their own views and opinions.
“Even before consulting with the accused, we need to understand the documents, we can’t consult without understanding the contents of the documents,” he said.
He further added that they need to corroborate the information from the new cellphone expert with the one provided by the previous cellphone analyst, Colonel Lambertus Steyn.
Advocate Sipho Ramosepele who represents accused number two, Ntanzi, said he won’t regurgitate what Mnisi has already explained because he also agrees with him.
Judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng said it was only fair to accommodate the defence and allow them to be fully prepared before the court proceeds with the new witness.
Because they need two days, Mokgoatlheng said he will give them until Monday.
Meyiwa was killed while visiting his singer girlfriend, Kelly Khumalo, at her home in Vosloorus on October 26, 2014.
The five accused in the Meyiwa murder trial are Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya, Bongani Sandiso Ntanzi, Mthobisi Mncube, Mthokoziseni Ziphozonke Maphisa, and Fisokuhle Ntuli.
The matter has been postponed to October 8.
IOL