By Chantelle Muzanenhamo
South Africa—The Senzo Meyiwa murder trial took a new turn on Monday as the prosecution introduced previously unseen photographic evidence associated with one of the suspects.
During proceedings at the Pretoria High Court, state prosecutor Advocate George Baloyi revealed that new images related to accused number three, Mthobisi Mncube, had been discovered.
The photos, which were reportedly found on Mncube’s phone, are set to be presented through the testimony of Sergeant Moses Mabasa, the officer responsible for extracting digital data from the suspects’ devices.
Baloyi explained, “We are bringing in three new photos of accused number three. These are actually one photo shown from three different angles.”
He added that the images were uncovered during a forensic review of Mncube’s cellphone.
Additional images associated with accused number two were also found on a memory card, with two of those images involving accused number one. Sergeant Mabasa, who previously testified in 2023 and was recalled in May 2024, is expected to return to clarify the origin and relevance of these new photographs.
The defense team requested a delay in the proceedings. Advocate Sipho Ramosepele, representing accused number two, explained that Mncube and Sibiya wish to wait until their legal representative, Advocate Charles Mnisi, has returned before proceeding further.
“There is a further instruction from Mr. Mncube regarding these images, and he says he can only give that instruction to Advocate Mnisi,” Ramosepele said.
He also asked for additional time to prepare a written response to the state’s application.
The case continues to develop as new evidence is introduced, potentially influencing the outcome of the trial.