Meyiwa murder trial: Mangena defends his handling of exhibits during his investigations
Lieutenant colonel Chris Mangena has completed his time on the witness stand over a year since he was first called to testi
The Senzo Meyiwa murder trial resumed in the Pretoria High Court on 22 January 2024. Picture: Kgomotso Modise/Eyewitness News
JOHANNESBURG - The State’s ballistic expert in the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial has defended his handling of the exhibits that he used during his investigations.
Lieutenant-Colonel Chris Mangena has completed his time on the witness stand over a year since he was first called to testify.
His evidence linking the gun belonging to one of the accused to a bullet found on the crime scene was challenged this week.
Five men are being tried for the 2014 murder of the Bafana Bafana captain.
The defence in the Senzo Meyiwa trial has repeatedly questioned how Lieutenant-Colonel Chris Mangena got his hands on the gun belonging to Mthobisi Mncube, which he ultimately linked to Senzo Meyiwa’s murder.
On Friday, the last lawyer to cross-examine Mangena, Advocate Zandile Mshololo said the integrity of the gun, how it was recovered, handled and received by the ballistics unit was questionable.
But Mangena insisted that he followed the process in how he collected the gun from the Cleveland Police Station and how he kept it in his exhibit safe.
The lieutenant-colonel has completed his time on the witness stand and Mangena’s colleagues from the ballistics office will be called to testify next week.