THE trial of British businessman Shrien Dewani , accused of killing his wife Anni in a orchestrated carjacking, is expecting a new witness to be called on Tuesday (11), as the case continues in South Africa.
The Western Cape High Court on Monday (10) heard from a hotel receptionist of how two important phone calls took place around an alleged plot to kill Anni.
Monde Mbolombo, 35, was asked by Deputy Judge President Jeanette Traverso about the calls he testified on and which she described as “very important”.
The first was a call that taxi driver Zola Tongo, who drove the couple around Cape Town at the time of the carjacking, apparently received on November 13, 2010, the same day Anni was killed.
Mbolombo said that he overheard Tongo speaking on the phone, allegedly to Dewani.
Traverso however told Mbolombo this phone call could not be found on phone records agreed upon by the State and defence.
The second call was apparently from Tongo to Mbolombo that evening, about which he said he had switched his phone off because he was sitting with the couple in a restaurant.
Mbolombo again agreed there was no record but said that it did happen but said maybe the calls were deleted.
Three men, one of whom died of a brain tumour last month, named 34-year-old businessman Dewani as the mastermind who planned the staged carjacking and the murder of his wife. The two others are serving life sentences for the crime.
Xolile Mngeni, who was serving a life sentence after being found guilty of fatally shooting Anni, died in prison of his illness that he developed after his incarceration.
Mziwamadoda Qwabe one of those serving time, pointed to Mngeni as the man who killed Anni after the third convict, taxi driver Zola Tongo, struck a deal with Dewani's lawyers.
Dewani was extradited from the UK in April and is charged with conspiracy to commit kidnapping, robbery, murder, and defeating the ends of justice.
He denies any wrongdoing and has been receiving treatment at Valkenberg psychiatric hospital. He fought his extradition for over three years and was admitted to a UK hospital for depression and post-traumatic stress.
