The image analyst tasked with analysing footage of Mthokozisi Ntumba’s fatal shooting has been accused of trying to edit the sequence of events.

Capt Bongiwe Gqotso from the forensic science laboratory services in Pretoria told the high court in Johannesburg on Monday that when she received the footage, her task was to view it, enhance images and take still photographs.

Gqotso received the footage from the March 10 shooting on March 23 2021.

This was almost two weeks after Ntumba was shot and killed during a student protest over historic debt and non-registration in Braamfontein, Johannesburg.

Gqotso, who has 17 years of experience in computer science technology, said she received a request from the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) investigating officer Judy Thwala to look out for “an innocent bystander who was shot and killed” when analysing the footage.

Gqotso said after she compiled her album of the images, printed it and made video copies, she kept all the exhibits under lock and key from March 23 to April 6.

During cross-examination, Thomas Mohope, who is the lawyer for accused 1, Tshepiso Kekana, 27, asked Gqotso if she enhanced all the images from the footage.

“Did you enhance all the frames of the footage?” asked Mohope.

“I did not enhance all the frames. I selected which frames to enhance,” said Gqotso.

Mohope asked Gqotso why she did not enhance all the frames.

“I was requested to focus on the innocent bystander who was killed and not the students,” said Gqotso.

Mohope then asked Gqotso why she saw a need to make images of the shooting from the footage and not just allow the court to view the footage.

“Why was there a need for you to make images? You were not there at the scene [crime scene]. The investigating officer [Thwala] was not there. Why should we be spoon-fed by you with images? Why can’t the court just watch the video on its own?” asked Mohope.

Initially Gqotso responded by saying: “No comment on that my Lord.”

Then she gave a fresh response: “I was not influencing. I was doing what I was instructed to do.”

But Mohope rejected her reasoning.

“I put it to you that the instructions you received from the investigating officer amount to editing the sequence of events of the day [of the shooting],” said Mohopo.

But Gqotso disagreed and said there was no tampering with the footage.

Officers Kekana, 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.  

Ntumba was shot and killed shortly after visiting his doctor for a consultation at MyClinic Health Care on De Beer Street in Braamfontein.

Lt-Col Busisiwe Moeketsi from the public order policing unit in Diepkloof, Soweto, was called to the witness stand but shortly after introduction, the trial was rolled over to Tuesday.