Meyiwa murder trial: Ballistic expert's cross-examination again deferred

PRETORIA - The cross-examination of a ballistic expert has been deferred once again in the Senzo Meyiwa trial, as the defence struggles to get its house in order.

The Pretoria High Court heard from a Legal Aid representative on an application for funding by the defence.

The defence wants Legal Aid to foot the bill for their own ballistic expert who will help challenge the evidence brought by the State’s expert, Lieutenant Colonel Chris Mangena, eight months ago.

During his testimony in August 2023, Mangena linked the gun found at the home of one of the accused in 2015.

READ: Meyiwa trial: Cellphone allegedly found in possession of accused takes centre stage

Five men stand accused of the Bafana Bafana captain’s 2015 murder.

On Monday, Judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng asked the State to call the head of Legal Aid to court to clarify details of the defence’s application for funding of a ballistic expert.

The expert is to equip the defence in cross-examining Mangena.

On Tuesday morning, the Legal Aid head of office in Pretoria, Flavia Isola, told the court that they have received the application from the defence.

“We received the application on 5 April 2024 – two weeks ago. We told them to send us a detailed costing but we have not received it yet.”

In an attempt to explain, advocate Charles Mnisi, lawyer for the alleged gunman Mthobisi Mncube told the court that he has been struggling to get in touch with their expert who should give a breakdown of his costs, but he managed to find him on Monday.

Judge Mokgoatlheng has given the defence another month to get their house in order and be ready to poke holes in Mangena’s testimony.