MORTUARY WORKER ‘COULD SEE NO SEMEN’

Testimony counters claims that evidence was tampered with

EUGENE TERRE’BLANCHE’SBODily fluid was again in the spotlight yesterday at the trial of the two accused of the AWB leader’s murder.

A mortuary worker who removed Terre’blanche’s body from his house has denied seeing semen-like fluid on his genitals. “If there was something there, yes, I would have seen it,” Gladys Lesenyego told the High Court sitting in Ventersdorp.

Chris Mahlangu and a teenager, who may not be named, are charged with beating Terre’blanche to death in his farmhouse outside Ventersdorp, North West, in April 2010.

Both have pleaded not guilty to murder, housebreaking, and robbery with aggravating circumstances. Mahlangu has claimed he acted in self-defence. The teenager has denied involvement in the crime.

Lesenyego testified that she was called to the scene at 8.20pm and removed the body just after 11pm.

She found Terre’blanche in the bedroom, on his back, with clothes on.

“The body was full of blood and had lacerations. His shirt was open and the trousers were pulled down and you could see (his) private parts.”

In October, pathologist Ruweida Moorad testified that Terre’blanche’s body may have been wiped before the post mortem was done. A substance believed to be semen was seen in photographs of his body taken at the crime scene. It was not visible when Moorad carried out her examination.

Her post mortem was done on April 6 last year, three days after the murder.

Cross-examining investigating officer Lieutenant-colonel Tsietsi Mano on Tuesday, Norman Arendse, the teen’s lawyer, said that if the semenhad been wiped off before the body was removed, it would mean someone had tampered with the evidence.

Meanwhile, the State brought an application for incriminating evidence about the minor to be admitted.

Earlier in the day, Arendse argued that Mano’s testimony about Mahlangu’s statement, in which he implicated the teen, was hearsay.

Arendse opposed the State’s application for this statement to be admitted, arguing that it was based on hearsay. The trial was postponed to today for Horn to decide on the matter. – Sapa