Ex Panayiotou employee testifies how he found R30 000 meant for hit
Port Elizabeth - A former OK Grocer employee, Mawonga Ndedwa, told the Eastern Cape High Court in Port Elizabeth about how he had found a bag containing R30 000 and how Christopher Panayiotou had given him instructions to pass the money on to the alleged middle man.
Ndedwa is the 21st state witness to testify in Jayde's murder trial, now on day seven. Her husband Christopher, along with Sinethemba Nenembe and Zolani Sibeko stand accused of robbery, conspiring together to kill Jayde, kidnapping, murder and illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Panayiotou is also facing an additional charge of defeating or obstructing the course of justice.
They have all pleaded not guilty.
Ndedwa, who worked as a merchandiser and handyman at both the grocer and at Panayiotou's Infinity Bar, also told the court how he had often allowed Panayiotou to use his phone to make calls and said he had been paid R1 000 by Panayiotou to destroy the phone.
Ndedwa told the court that his shift had overlapped with Luthando Siyoni, who was a bouncer at the Infinity Bar and is believed to have been the middle man that organised the hit on Jayde on Panayiotou's behalf.
Siyoni has since turned State witness.
Ndedwa said that after Panayiotou was arrested his mother, Fanoula Panayiotou, became his boss. He said his relationship with Fanoula was not good.
Getting rid of phone
The entire Panayiotou family listened intently as Ndedwa testified.
Ndedwa said he was planning on quitting his job at the OK Grocer after seeing his cellphone number in an article in The Herald that said the police were trying to trace the number. He said he was scared.
State prosecutor Marius Stander confirmed the number in question with Ndedwa and showed him the cellphone billing for the number.
It showed that the number stopped being used two days after Jayde's death, on April 23, 2015.
"I was using that phone on that particular date. Chris and his mom arrived. [Fanoula] entered the shop and I remained with Chris outside. He gave me R1 000 and said I must part ways with this phone," said Ndedwa.
Ndedwa asked him why. He said that Panayiotou told him the police would follow him with the phone. He said Panayiotou had taken and destroyed the SIM card, while he had kept the handset.
Ndedwa told the court that only he and Panayiotou would use the phone and that Panayiotou would often send him airtime. He said that Panayiotou had only started using his phone about two weeks before Jayde's death.
Stander showed cellphone records which revealed that the first call to Siyoni took place on April 8, followed by several additional calls.
'Yoh! That is a lot of money'
Ndedwa said he only became aware that Panayiotou was calling Siyoni when Siyoni called his number looking for Panayiotou.
He said there was no reason for him to call Siyoni as they were not friends.
Stander asked Ndedwa if he had ever slept over at Panayiotou's home or had lunch with Panayiotou and another individual at Sunridge Shopping Centre, to which Ndedwa said no.
Stander asked Ndedwa if he knew about money being found at the OK Grocer.
"I was opening the store and I went to fetch tools to fix a bread machine, when I reached for the tool box, I saw a money bag," he said.
Ndedwa said he had opened the bag.
"I looked inside and said 'Yoh! That is a lot of money'," he said.
He said he had called Panayiotou and told him about the money. He said Panayiotou had told him that it was R30 000 that he had forgotten about and told him to give it to Siyoni.
Putting Panayiotou 'in a hole'
He said that day Siyoni had not come in so he left the money where it was. The next day he went to check and saw the money was no longer there. He said Panayiotou had told him that he had taken the money.
Asked when this occurred, Ndedwa said he could not remember the actual date but that it was about a week before Jayde went missing.
Ndedwa said only he, Panayiotou and other store managers had access to the store room. He said Chanelle Coutts, Panayiotou's mistress, was one of the managers who had access.
Stander asked Ndedwa if there had been a discussion between him and Fanoula about the phone. He said they had spoken about it when he stopped working for OK Grocers and told her he wanted to give it to the police. He says she appeared shocked and drank a glass of water.
He said he then left and went outside to smoke.
"While I was outside, Chris' uncle came to me and asked me why I wanted to take the phone to the SAPS," he said.
Ndedwa said the uncle, identified as Anthony, had asked him if he realised he would be putting Panayiotou "in a hole" if he gave the police the phone.
The trial continues.