The description given by witnesses of the alleged dreadlocked gunman that fatally wounded Senzo Meyiwa, once again came under the spotlight at the High Court in Pretoria.

Five men are on trial for the 2014 murder of the Bafana Bafana captain.

Meyiwa was shot and killed while at his girlfriend, Kelly Khumalo’s parental home in Vosloorus on Gauteng’s East Rand.

Lead investigating officer Bongani Gininda has been under cross examination.

Eyewitnesses described one of the intruders a short man with dreadlocks. A year after the murder, two of those that were present when Meyiwa was murdered, Gladness Khumalo and Longwe Twala fingered the same person via an identity parade.

However, Gininda insists that both Khumalo and Twala identified the wrong suspect as the alleged shooter in 2015.

“But later investigations at that time revealed that this is the wrong person. Subsequently the matter was removed from the roll. There was no evidence that was found, this person was investigated even after the matter was removed as he was excluded by DNA and all other evidence that was collected at that time. Including the alibi, where he was when this incident takes place. When I got involved I also looked into that and I didn’t find anything that suggests that this person was involved.”

Brigadier Gininda says evidence points to the accused number three Mthobisi Mncube as the alleged perpetrator that fired the fatal shot.

“The person who was identified by Longwe was the wrong person. The gun was linked to accused 3.”

Mnisi: “The person who was described by ma Khumalo and Longwe, their description is similar which is why they identified one person at the ID parade.”

Gininda: “That similarity also applies to accused 3, he is also short.”

Mnisi: “Then a statement from Zandi Khumalo she also gives a description. It says two men walked inside the house from the kitchen door, one in front having a gun in his hand, he was average height with dreadlocks and dark, thin and beige jacket. He had big eyes. I will be able to identify him if I see him again. This comes from a witness in the house. This is the third person who describes the person as dark and with dreadlocks.”

Gininda: “Zandi attended the ID parade and didn’t identify this person, Mr Mbatha as her mother and Longwe Twala did.”

Gininda adds that there are also photographs retrieved from Mncube’s phone showing he had dreadlocks on 26 October 2014, the day of the murder.

The cross examination of Brigadier Gininda is expected to continue on Thursday morning.

VIDEO | Senzo Meyiwa murder trial | 27 November 2024: