SAP 13 clerk

Advocate Baloyi asserts Warrant Officer Mpangase was responsible for the inquiry file after moving from Isipingo Police Station to Port Shepstone and questions why there was no SAP 13 clerk or entries to record the exhibits' movement at Port Shepstone on the 22nd.

“You were responsible for the inquiry file at that point, when you moved from Isipingo Police Station to Port Shepstone. Why did you not arrange for an SAP 13 clerk from Port Shepstone on the 22nd itself to come and enter these exhibits, or record the movement of these exhibits ?”

General Senona requested both the original and the spare set of keys to the safe, the spare being a safety precaution since a key was not available locally

“The SAP 13 clerk would ordinarily keep the original. What happens with the spare key ? I think it was for safe safety precaution that he does not have a key in Durban and someone also on the other side has got a key.”

The SAP 13 Clerk completed the register without seeing the exhibits or having the evidence bags and evidence bag numbers.

“So the SAP Clerk did not see the exhibits. So the SAP 13 was completed with the SAP 13 Clerk without seeing the exhibits”

The SAP 13 Clerk did not see the exhibits because the key was left at Port Shepstone and the clerk signed off without inspecting the exhibits.

“He did not see the exhibits because we cannot even say maybe he went back because we left Port Shepstone with the key to Durban. So he did not see it, but he signed for them”

It is not normal procedure for the SAP 13 Clerk to complete the register without seeing the exhibits, and the clerk should have demanded to see the exhibits but did not.

“And that is not how it is normally properly done. If it is done properly, that is not how to do it. The SAP 13 Clerk should have demanded to see the exhibit. But she did not”

The deliverer signature on the exhibit register likely belongs to the same person who signed under section 4.5, probably the Community Service Centre Commander or SAP 13 clerk.

“The deliverer obviously will be, and on face value it seems to be the same person that signed under 4.5, will be the Community Service Centre Commander, in all probability”

If exhibits were left at Isipingo SAPS, the responsibility for the exhibits would be with the station commander and the SAP 13 clerk to keep them secure.

“it would have been the responsibility of the station commander and obviously the SAP 13 clerk to ensure that the exhibits are kept behind lock and key”

The SAP 13 clerk or custodian is the only person allowed to open and lock the vault to maintain chain of custody and accountability.

“the SAP 13 clerk or the custodian is the only person who is allowed to open that vault and to lock it again because that maintains, obviously, chain of custody and ensure that if anything goes wrong...”