I received the report but it did not explain Ntumba's killing, says officer

Further evidence of police’s alleged failure to report the killing of Mthokozisi Ntumba has been presented in court by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid).

Ipid investigating officer Judy Thwala was cross-examined on Monday about the day she responded to the Ntumba’s murder scene in March last year.

She told the high court in Johannesburg that she received an email containing incident report information system (Iris) from the SAPS after visiting the scene.

“I did receive the Iris but it did not explain the incident that happened in Braamfontein,” said Thwala.

But Thomas Mohope, for accused 1, told Thwala that his client, Tshepiso Kekana, would testify that the incident was reported on the Iris.

Thwala also shared details of what she found when she arrived on the scene in Braamfontein on the day of the shooting.

She said she found Ntumba’s body lying on the pavement and there were cartridges next to the road.

“There were no cartridges on the pavement. Only on the road. They were not far apart and were at a specific place. They were not hidden,” she said.

Officers Kekana, 27, Cidraas Motseothatha, 43, Madimetja Legodi, 37, and Victor Mohammed, 51, face charges of murder and three counts of attempted murder. They have pleaded not guilty.

They are accused of killing Ntumba on March 10 2021 during a student protest in Braamfontein.

Thwala had earlier testified that the four officers did not report the incident in the police occurrence book. She said an entry was then put two days later on March 12 about the incident but there was no specification of what had happened.

Thwala told the court that she could not interview all the witnesses that she found on the scene as there were a crowd of protesters who were angry that someone had been killed.

“I only took their details because I knew I was going to call them at a later stage,” she said.

The trial continues.​