PORT ELIZABETH - STATE EXPECTED TO CALL FIRST WITNESS IN PANAYIOTOU TRIAL TODAY

The State is expected to call its first witness in the trial involving three men accused of murdering Port Elizabeth school teacher Jayde Panayiotou.

State Prosecutor Marius Stander will call Cherise Swanepoel to give evidence in the witness box at the Port Elizabeth High Court on Wednesday.

Swanepoel was Jayde’s good friend and colleague at Riebeek College and on the morning of her kidnapping, Jayde had been waiting for Swanepoel to give her a lift to work.The friends would lift club to the school which is situated in Uitenhage, about a thirty minute drive from Port Elizabeth.

Stander indicated on Tuesday that the alleged triggerman, Sizwe Vumazonke, who is now deceased, traveled to Swanepoel’s home in Newton Park on at least two occasions prior to the murder taking place.

It is alleged that Jayde’s husband Christopher Panayiotou paid Luthando Siyoni, a bouncer from his Infinity nightclub, to hire hitman Vumazonke to kidnap and kill Jayde.

The State alleges that Sinethemba Nenembe assisted Vumazonke to kidnap and murder Jayde at the behest of her husband.

Siyoni has since turned state witness.

Stander said that the State would lead evidence that at the time of the murder Vumazonke was residing in Kwanobhule, near Uitenhage and travelled all the way to Port Elizabeth. He went on to highlight that Vumazonke and his accomplices could not initially find Jayde’s location but Siyoni on April 14 accompanied the alleged hitman to the Stellen Glen Complex to ascertain Jayde’s address.

“From there the vehicle traveled to the Riebeek College in Uitenhage, stopped at the college and rode off into the township. Detailed cellphone billing of Siyoni will show numerous telephone contact between himself and [Christopher] during this trip,” said Stander.

Stander said early on the morning of April 15 Vumazonke travelled to New Brighton in Port Elizabeth to fetch Nenembe and Zolani Sibeko who made their way to Jayde’s complex.
“The State will prove that during the period 8:21 the vehicle circled the Stellen Glen complex on a number of occasions.”

Stander said on the morning of April 16, the vehicle again circled the complex on numerous occasions but the accused could not find the two friends.

He said Vumazonke and his accomplices then raced off to Swanepoel’s home in Newtown Park, circled her residence, and then raced back to Jayde’s home, but again the two friends could not be found by the men.

“The state will lead evidence to indicate that the system employed by them at that stage did not work.”

According to the State, the men eventually abandoned an alleged plan to shoot Jayde en route to Riebeek College in Uitenhage with Swanepoel.

Stander said that on April 21, on the day of the alleged kidnapping, Vumazonke and Nenembe returned to the Jayde’s Stellen Glen Complex in Deacon Road.

He said that cell phone billing showed that Vumazonke was dropped off outside the complex while Nenembe continued to circle the complex no less than eight times.

“At some stage [Vumazonke] sends an SMS to Nenembe resulting in the vehicle speeding back to the Stellen Glen Complex, the State will indicate that at 06:27 that morning there was still contact between Swanepoel and [Jayde].”

Stander said that when Swanepoel arrived at the complex to pick Jayde up for school that day, the school teacher was nowhere to be seen.

The prosecution alleges that Vumazonke and Nemembe‚ shoved Jayde into a rental car and drove to an open field in Kwanobuhle‚ where she was shot twice through the back and once through the head-execution style.

According to the State, shortly after Vumazonke pulled the trigger he visited a sangoma (traditional healer) to be “cleansed”. He had in his possession Jayde’s bag and laptop.
The trial continues.

VIA - enca.com