Constable Masuku case: photos of guns found on accused’s phone
Accused number two revealed in court that he was fascinated by toy guns, hence, he had a number of photos of firearms on his cellphone.
Several photos of firearms were discovered by police on Lawrence Dlamini’s cellphone on the day of his arrest for the alleged murder of Constable Prudence Masuku of Daveyton SAPS in July 2022.
This was revealed during the current trial of Veli Masuku and his co-accused, Dlamini. They are accused of murdering Prudence in June 2022.
Veli was married to the late officer at the time of her death. She was seven months pregnant.
Accused number two, Dlamini, took to the witness stand recently and said that while he was handcuffed, a police officer used his fingerprint to unlock his cellphone.
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The court heard that a picture of Masuku’s state firearm and other firearms were found on his cellphone.
When he was asked why he had so many photos of firearms on his phone, he responded that he was fascinated with toy guns.
He explained that he doesn’t own a firearm but has a toy gun which he bought at a store at East Rand Mall for self-defence.
Dlamini added that one of the firearms belonged to his elder brother.
Dlamini said he knew the accused one from a workshop he was employed at in Johannesburg before his arrest, but that they are not friends.
He said on the day of the shooting he wasn’t in the Daveyton area, but was in Germiston to help a friend with a vehicle breakdown.
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On the very same day of trial proceedings, Sergeant Themba Twala of Daveyton SAPS testified that he was supposed to fetch Prudence on the day she was murdered.
However, he received an SMS from her number at around 05:00 stating that he must not fetch her, with no further explanation.
Prudence was shot and killed in Putfontein while on her way to work and accompanied by her husband on June 23.
According to a police report, men in two taxis allegedly confronted the couple on Durant Road, Mkgoba Village.
The passengers of both taxis allegedly approached them and fired several shots at Prudence while her husband ran for cover.
When he returned to the vehicle, he said he noticed his wife’s service firearm was missing and reported it to the police. The SAPS arrested the husband on the same day in connection with the murder.
Members of the Hawks Serious Organised Crime Investigation Unit, Ekurhuleni Crime Intelligence and the JMPD arrested his co-accused after swiftly reacting to information about a suspect demanding cash for murdering the police officer from a ‘middleman’.
