First responders to Meyiwa murder scene were students and junior cops

By Kgomotso Modise | Eye Witness News |

The Pretoria High Court on Friday heard how the first responders to the Senzo Meyiwa murder scene were students and junior police officers.

Sergeant Mlungisi Mthethwa spent his second day on the witness stand in the Pretoria High Court.

He was the first on the scene on that fateful October night in 2014 when the former Bafana Bafana captain was gunned down at the home of his girlfriend, Kelly Khumalo.

Five men are being tried for the murder in what the State believes was a robbery.

Mthethwa’s cross-examination by the lawyer for the fifth accused, advocate Zandile Mshololo, was off to a rocky start when he refused to answer what his highest academic qualifications were.

“I don’t see how my level of education is going to assist us [in this matter],” Mthethwa responded when questioned by Mshololo.

At the time, Mthethwa and his colleague were constables which are entry-level police officers.

When pressed by Mshololo, Mthethwa told the court that he now remembered that they were also accompanied by two student police officers.

Mshololo then asked whether it did not occur to them that the people behind the shooting could have returned to remove evidence while police had abandoned it.

“Do you know why it never occurred to you? It’s because you were inexperienced for that crime scene. All of you were juniors; there was no one to supervise the duties that you were supposed to do as members of the SAPS attending such an important crime scene,” Mshololo said.

Mthethwa maintained he had no reason to protect the house upon his first visit because he did not have enough evidence to inform that decision.