Videos: Contradictions emerge in bail hearing of murdered Jayden-Lee's mother
According to the Roodepoort Record, Meek's defence attorney, Noven Naidoo, cross-examined state witness and investigating officer Sergeant Nceba Diko about the clothing Jayden-Lee Meek (11) was reportedly wearing on the day he went missing.
Naidoo highlighted that the teacher, the day shift security guard at Swazi's Place, and Meek herself all gave differing statements about Jayden-Lee's clothing.
'My client informed me she helped him get dressed that morning. He was wearing grey long pants, a white shirt, a tie, and black takkies,' Naidoo told the court.
A statement from Jayden-Lee's teacher at Royal College indicated he was wearing a red school tracksuit with a school badge and carrying his school bag.
The day shift security guard reported seeing Jayden in a red school jacket with a badge and black shorts.
Diko said he could not confirm what the child was wearing, as the descriptions were provided by individuals who had seen Jayden-Lee that day.
OB entries from Swazi's Place were also submitted to court.
The entries showed that the first report of Jayden's disappearance was made to the night shift security guard at 20:30 by unknown individuals. Meek reported the matter at 21:00, accompanied by police.
Naidoo stated: 'The accused will say she spoke to the day shift security guard and that an entry was made in the OB. She gave him her phone number, told him she was going to the shop, and instructed him to call if Jayden returned.'
Diko responded: 'There is no record of this in the OB.'
Naidoo also questioned the officer about an alleged missing page from the OB, claiming that on May 14 – the day Jayden-Lee's body was discovered – Meek and her family noticed the page was missing when they attempted to photograph the book.
Diko admitted he had not certified the OB copies submitted to court, citing workload as the reason for the oversight.
The defence presented a Bolt receipt showing Meek travelled to Swazi's Place at 05:12, not 04:00 as stated by Diko. Naidoo said this detail had been deliberately omitted from Meek's affidavit to illustrate that she did not travel there at 04:00, as alleged. This timing further contradicted the OB entry provided by the security guard.
Further questioning focused on the nationality of the security guards. Naidoo asked whether Diko had checked their immigration status.
'They are both Congolese nationals, and I did not check their status,' Diko said.
When asked by the court about the relevance of this line of questioning, Naidoo argued that if the guards were arrested, they might not be available to testify.
Before proceedings concluded, the investigating officer presented Jayden's school bag, which was found at Unit 13, where Meek resides.
A schoolbook was then used to confirm that Jayden had attended school on May 13 and had written work for that day.
The bail application is set to continue on Friday. Meek remains in custody.
Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel.
Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal.
Read original story on www.citizen.co.za
At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Citizen
a day ago
- The Citizen
WATCH: Operation Dudula protests Rosettenville hijacked building and illegal connections
Members of the anti-migrant group operating under the slogan Put South Africa First gather at JC Lucas Park in Rosettenville on Saturday morning to protest what they claim are hijacked buildings and illegal electricity connections in the area. Led by Operation Dudula, protesters carry the movement's banner and wave the South African flag while chanting anti-immigrant slogans through the streets, including Main, Verona, Mabel and Violet. Traffic backed up on Main Street The march causes traffic disruptions along Main Street as the group moves through the area. Officials from Johannesburg Property Company (JPC) and City Power are seen at one of the buildings in question. A strong police presence is also evident, comprising officers from the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD). @ Traffic backed up on Main Street The march causes traffic disruptions along Main Street as the group moves through the area. Officials from Johannesburg Property Company (JPC) and City Power are seen at one of the buildings in question. A strong police presence is also evident, comprising officers from the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD). Full story on ♬ original sound – Southern Courier Claims of hijacked buildings and illegal connections Siphiwe Shabangu, a national executive committee member of Operation Dudula, alleges that the building being inspected is hijacked by Congolese nationals and the City of Johannesburg is not collecting any municipal revenue from it. 'This building is hijacked. There is only one South African staying here, and he works as a caretaker,' says Shabangu. 'The City is losing revenue. This building owes R12 million in electricity and R20 million in water.' Shabangu also claims that illegal electricity connections are common in such buildings and that many are owned by the government. 'We don't know who the police are protecting. Even at hospitals, police are present. We suspect they are here to arrest illegal immigrants and help restore order,' he says. Officials refused entry During the protest, police refused entry to both the Operation Dudula marchers and City officials on the premises. 'We are here so that South Africans can occupy this building and the City can collect revenue,' Shabangu says. Tensions with law enforcement Shabangu alleges that a police officer, identified as Captain Mathebula, instructs officers to prevent City Power from carrying out disconnections. @ Siphiwe Shabangu, a national executive committee member of Operation Dudula, alleges that the building being inspected is hijacked by Congolese nationals and the City of Johannesburg is not collecting any municipal revenue from it. 'This building is hijacked. There is only one South African staying here, and he works as a caretaker,' says Shabangu. 'The City is losing revenue. This building owes R12 million in electricity and R20 million in water.' Full story on ♬ original sound – Southern Courier 'We want to know if Captain Mathebula works for City Power or is an electrician to interfere,' says Shabangu. 'Police are stopping officials from disconnecting illegal power lines and restoring hijacked buildings. We want law and order to return.'
eNCA
2 days ago
- eNCA
DR Congo tries ex-leader Kabila for treason in absentia
DR CONGO - Former Democratic Republic of Congo leader Joseph Kabila went on trial in absentia Friday on charges including treason over alleged support for Rwanda-backed militants, an AFP reporter at the court said. Kabila, who has lived outside the DRC for two years, stands accused at a military court of plotting to overthrow the government of President Felix Tshisekedi - a charge that could yield a death sentence. He also faces charges including homicide, torture and rape linked to the anti-government force M23, the charge sheet said. Other charges include "taking part in an insurrection movement", "crime against the peace and safety of humanity" and "forcible occupation of the city of Goma". Kabila arrived in May in that eastern city, seized by the M23 in January before the militia and the government in July signed a pledge to seek a permanent ceasefire. Kabila's successor as president, Tshisekedi, has branded him the brains behind the armed group, which has seized swathes of the resource-rich Congolese east with Rwanda's help. The court opened his trial at 1020 GMT in the Gombe district of the capital Kinshasa. Emmanuel Shadari, secretary-general of Kabila's People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD), dismissed it as a "political trial" that he said would "divide the Congolese people" during peace negotiations. The proceeding "is anything but a fair trial. With a justice system that is not independent, the conviction is already decided - the rest is theatre, a ridiculous staging," Shadari said. Deputy Justice Minister Samuel Mbemba told reporters at the hearing: "The courts do not negotiate, they will do their work independently." - M23 denies Kabila ties - The charge sheet seen by AFP described Kabila as "one of the initiators of the Congo River Alliance" (AFC), the M23's political arm. It accuses him of colluding with Rwanda to try to "overthrow by force the power established by law". The charge sheet accused him of being responsible for atrocities committed by the movement in the North and South Kivu provinces in the mineral-rich east. Rwanda denies providing military backing to the M23, but UN experts say its army played a "critical" role in the group's offensive in that region. The AFC and M23's executive secretary Benjamin Mbonimpa distanced the movement from Kabila at a news conference in Goma on Friday. He told a news conference that the government should not "label him an AFC/M23 member" just because he had come to the city. Kabila "as a Congolese citizen is free to go wherever he likes", he said, branding the trial part of a "malevolent strategy" against the ex-president. - Kabila says trial 'arbitrary' - Kabila, 54, took power following his father Laurent Kabila's assassination in 2001 and governed the DRC until 2019, before leaving the country in 2023. He has branded his successor's government a "dictatorship". Kabila has rejected the case as "arbitrary" and called the courts "an instrument of oppression". The upper house of the legislature lifted his immunity as senator for life to allow his prosecution. The court on Friday heard from military prosecutor Rene-Lucien Likulia, who asked it to judge Kabila in his absence. It scheduled the next hearing for July 31. For more than three decades, the eastern DRC has been ravaged by conflict between various armed groups. The unrest has intensified since the M23's resurgence in 2021.
The Citizen
2 days ago
- The Citizen
Jayden-Lee Meek murder: Mother's bail application ruling expected on Monday
The Roodepoort Magistrate's Court today (July 25) heard final arguments in the bail application of Tiffany Meek (31), the mother accused of murdering her 11-year-old son, Jayden-Lee with the court expected to rule on her bail application on Monday. Jayden-Lee was found dead at a block of flats in Fleurhof, Johannesburg on May 14 where he and his mother lived. His mother said she started looking for him when he did not return home from school om May 13 and reported him missing the next day. She was arrested for her son's murder after a police investigation. Meek's defence lawyer, Noven Naidoo, argued that the state lacked sufficient evidence for the court to deny her bail. During the final cross-examination of the investigating officer, Sergeant Nceba Diko, Naidoo referenced a case involving Likhona Fose, claiming the circumstances were similar and bail was granted in that matter. 'I'm not sure of the circumstances and merits of that case; therefore, I will not comment on that,' Diko responded. Also read: Conflicting statements and OB entries under scrutiny in Meek bail hearing Diko confirmed to Naidoo that some elements of the investigation were still outstanding. 'When my client was arrested, the police's provincial commissioner, Major General Fred Kekana, told the press that police don't arrest first and investigate later. He stated the investigation was sufficient. So why is there still missing evidence?' Naidoo asked. Diko replied that the investigation had been sufficient to make an arrest and that the state has strong evidence against the accused. Naidoo also denied the state's claim that Jayden-Lee's uniform was found at Unit 13, where Meek resides. 'My client would say Jayden had two or three sets of uniform, and the uniform found was another set – not the one he was wearing the day he went missing. 'The blood found on the pillow was not fresh, as Jayden suffered from nosebleeds. So it could date back months.' Naidoo maintains that Meek is being framed, alleging that the school bag presented as evidence had been planted. Also read: #JusticeforJayden: Court hears of blunt force trauma and timeline linking mother to crime Memoranda of demands were also submitted as exhibits, supporting claims of public outcry. The final decision regarding Meek's bail application is expected on Monday (July 28). She will remain in custody over the weekend. Read original story on
