Katlego Moeng

Two of the three accused in the Lucky Dube murder trial were positively linked to the scene of the crime, the Johannesburg high court was told.

The court also heard that Dube was hit in the back and that shots were fired from inside his car.

Sifiso Mhlanga, 32, Julius Gxowa, 30, and Mbuti Mabe, 29, are on trial for the murder of Dube in Rosettenville, south of Johannesburg, in October 2007.

Inspector Michael Mugadi, a fingerprint expert, told the court yesterday that he lifted a left hand palm print from the rear left door handle inside Dube's Chrysler.

He said he also lifted another palm hand print from the driver's window, inside the car.

"On February 3 this year, I received a set of fingerprints from Captain Sepungu, which had the name Sifiso Mhlanga on it. I also received a set with Julius Gxowa's name.

"I compared the prints that I took from the rear door handle with those that were sent to me and they matched Mhlanga's," said Mugadi.

Mugadi said he also matched the prints from the driver's window with Gxowa's left palm print.

Inspector Motimedi Mokobane, a photographer and draughtsman, told the court that he arrived at the murder scene at 9.30pm.

"He (Dube) was shot from the back. The body was still warm so he would have died about one to two hours before I arrived.

"There were two bullet wounds through the abdomen but only one exit wound, through Dube's right thigh," he said.

Mpho Maruping, the wife of a fourth man, Thabo, who was arrested in connection with Dube's murder, testified two weeks ago that her husband had told her that Mhlanga and Gxowa were the ones who killed Dube.

The trial continues today.