63 Calls Made on Meyiwa's Phone Post-SIM Swap Following His Murder, Forensic Evidence Reveals
- Vodacom's forensic supervisor, Pinky Vythilingam, confirmed a SIM swap on Senzo Meyiwa's phone post-mortem, with 63 calls made on the new SIM
- The trial continues amid revelations of calls to customer care services and challenges in identifying the swap initiator
- The swap occurred at Cellucity, prompting scrutiny of the authentication process and continued drama in Meyiwa's murder case
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Reitumetse Makwea, a Briefly News current affairs journalist in Pretoria, South Africa, has covered court and crime-related news at The Citizen and Rekord Noweto for over five years.
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A new SIM card was inserted into a Nokia 2330 classic, and 63 successful calls were made with the swapped SIM.
This is according to Vodacom's forensic supervisor, Pinky Vythilingam, who verified that a SIM swap occurred on the mobile phone of soccer icon Senzo Meyiwa shortly after his tragic shooting.
Meyiwa's trial continues with more drama unfolding.
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The calls included several to customer care services, with SMSs received around 17:25 to 17:26 and calls made to Vodacom customer care between 19:05 and 19:15. The phone was last noted on voicemail at 21:04.
Previously, the analysis of 100 calls between murder accused was wrong.
Sim swap done hours after his murder
According to Vythilingam, the SIM swap was successfully processed on October 27, 2014, at approximately 4:21 PM at Cellucity in Benmore Gardens shopping centre.
Vythilingam's analysis focused on the transaction conducted using Meyiwa’s cellphone number.
"Vodacom received a subpoena under Section 205 of the Criminal Procedure Act from SAPS, presented by Brig Gininda on 9 May 2020. This subpoena sought information concerning the SIM swap conducted on 27 October 2014."
She revealed that the swap occurred at Cellucity in Benmore Gardens Shopping Centre, with the name of the retail agent involved disclosed in court.
Forensic analysis and proof
As per SABC News reports, under questioning by state prosecutor Ronnie Sibanda, Vythilingam conceded her inability to determine the initiator of the swap or verify if an ID document had been provided.
"Are you able to tell whether an ID document was presented? Are you able to tell who did the SIM swap?"
Vythilingam said she had no idea who requested the SIM swap and also said there were 63 successful calls.
She explained the verification process necessary to obtain a new SIM, stating that various information and documents, including an ID, are required for authentication.
"If you visit a store, you must bring a photocopy of your ID, a copy of your Vodacom cellphone account, or any other retail account as evidence that the SIM card is registered in your name.
"Alternatively, if you request a SIM swap over the phone, you'll be asked approximately five verification questions, including confirmation of your ID number, and you may be queried about recent calls made or the last time you recharged your airtime."
Kelly Khumalo explains why she avoids trial and hopes truth will prevail
Previously, Briefly News reported that Afro-pop singer Kelly Khumalo had revealed her reasons for staying away from the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial.
The Empini hitmaker said in an interview with Ukhozi FM that she chooses her mental health and lets God handle it.
During a recent court appearance, one of the men accused of murdering the former soccer star admitted that he communicated with Kelly Khumalo.
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Source: Briefly News
