An explosive allegation has emerged in the bail bid of the suspended Walter Sisulu University acting residence manager that an unnamed attorney persuaded Manelisi Mampana to buy a fake firearm to submit to police instead of the firearm allegedly used to kill student Sisonke Mbolekwa.
The allegation was made in the Mthatha magistrate’s court on Thursday by investigating officer Colonel Mandla Miya, who was opposing Mampana's release on bail.
He said after Mampana allegedly told him about the fake firearm, police travelled to Port Alfred where two firearms were confiscated at the home of Mampana's relative.
Miya, who has 40 years’ experience as a detective, also told the court that he had received a call on Wednesday to say that another firearm had been recovered in Port Alfred.
Mampana, 54, is accused of murder following the death of Mbolekwa, the attempted murder of Lizwa Ndzumo, possession of a firearm with intent to commit crime, and possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition.
Miya testified that Mampana, accompanied by his wife and the attorney, handed himself over to Mthatha police on April 17, two days after the shooting at the Nelson Mandela Drive campus.
Mampana refused to give a statement to the police and asked if fingerprints taken from him would get him in trouble.
“When we were asking him about the firearm, when we were about to charge him, he said his attorney said he should not make a statement,” Miya said.
“Mampana asked that he and I go to another office.
“When we got there, he said to me the firearm was available, but he said his attorney told him not to take it out.
“He said his attorney advised him that he must buy a [fake] Chinese gun similar to the one he used.
“He said if he didn’t get bail while we continue with the investigation, he would give us the firearm from the Chinese shop and say he used it.”
He said when police confiscated the firearm allegedly used in the fatal shooting from the home of Mampana's relatives in Port Alfred, a second firearm was discovered. The second firearm is believed to have been bought from a Chinese shop.
Last week, Mampana testified that days before the shooting, his mother, Nonzwakazi, had asked him to take his late father’s firearm from her homestead in Willowvale, fearing it would be stolen.
Mampana then took the firearm to the Willowvale police station, where he was allegedly told firearms were not kept there unless they had been used in a crime.
He was advised to take it to a gunsmith. He drove back to Mthatha, intending to take it to East London when he had petrol.
Miya testified: “He said the firearm he [allegedly] used to kill a person was in Port Alfred, as well as the one he was advised by his attorney to buy.
“He said we should go and get the firearm, or else if we waited ... we’d find the attorney had already moved the firearm.
“We travelled to Port Alfred ... He asked his mother for the parcels he had wrapped in a black bag. He confirmed it was the firearm.
“The firearm was together with the Chinese firearm. I took possession of the firearms and took a statement from his mother as to how she came to possess it.
“We put the firearm together with the cartridge we got from the university and a bullet that was taken from the waist of one of the victims ... All that has been taken to the ballistic testing centre.”
Miya said police found just one cartridge at the crime scene though Mampana told police he had fired four shots.
Miya said Mampana told him he had asked two WSU employees to pick up the cartridges after the shooting.
Miya said he opposed Mampana’s release as the state had a “very serious case” against him.
State evidence included eyewitnesses, the postmortem and medical reports.
Miya said the investigation was not yet complete, with one of the students allegedly shot by Mampana refusing to speak to the police out of fear.
This student had alleged if released on bail that Mampana would kill him or the university would expel him.
Miya said Mampana had made the investigation difficult.
After he was rescued by the police, following an alleged student attack on his house, all Mampana said was he had been attacked, his vehicle was burned and his wife assaulted.
“He didn’t tell the truth to the police that he had [allegedly] shot and killed someone and injured others; that the firearm he [allegedly] used was in his possession. Instead, he ran away to an unknown place.”
Miya said they called Mampana on the day of the shooting, intending to arrest him, but could not reach him.
A call to his wife revealed they were in Willowvale. But when police went to Willowvale on April 16, he was not there.
“We found out he’d run to Port Alfred. We continued trying to call him.
“He told us he was in hiding and he would come with his attorney.
“On April 17 ... he arrived in the company of his attorney and wife.”
Miya believed Mampana would flee if released on bail. Also, his life might be in danger if he were free.
And Miya feared Mampana might interfere with witnesses if released.
Earlier, Ncedo Kolanisi, who has been speaking for the families of the victims, testified in opposition to Mampana’s release, saying he was testifying as a premier-general of the AbaThembu royal kingdom.
“The crown rejects any notion that he should be granted bail.
“We’ve been getting calls that if he gets released, anarchy will prevail,” Kolanisi said.
Cross-examined by attorney Sakhumzi Nombambela, for Mampana, Kolanisi said he had no proof Mampana had tampered with evidence.
Bail proceedings continue on Friday.
Daily Dispatch
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