Lawyer ‘surprised’ intruder didn’t shoot Twala
Longwe attacked armed gunman, says witness
Adv Zandile Mshololo has questioned witness Tumelo Madlala’s testimony that Longwe Twala pushed one of the intruders armed with a gun on the night Senzo Meyiwa was killed, stating that it is impossible for an unarmed person to attack a gunman.
Mshololo, who is representing accused number five, Sifisokuhle Nkani Ntuli, at the Meyiwa murder trial sitting in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria, asked Madlala how Twala ran towards an armed intruder and was not shot in the process.
During his cross-examination yesterday, Madlala said when the first intruder entered the house, he pointed a gun at the people who were inside and demanded money and cellphones.
Madlala said Twala stood up and ran towards the gunman, pushing him in the process.
“It is not possible to approach a person with a gun. How can Longwe run towards the intruder with a gun and not get shot? You said you were scared when you saw the gun,’’ said Mshololo.
Madlala responded: “I also agree [that it is not possible to run towards a person with gun and not get shot]. Even myself ... I am still asking myself that question today. I even confronted him [Twala] about it. It is not possible but it did happen.’’
Mshololo said since it was highly questionable as to how Twala pushed the gunman without being shot, there could not have been an intruder in the house. Madlala stood his ground and maintained there were intruders that night.
“I am the one who was there. It is a lie that no person entered the house,’’ said Madlala.
Madlala had said during the scuffle, Kelly Khumalo, her sister Zandi and mother Gladness fought with the armed intruder. “Is it possible for a person carrying a gun to be assaulted by females?” asked
Mshololo. “How come none of those females were shot by the intruder?’’
Madlala said he did not know why that was the case.
Earlier, Madlala said the first intruder wore a hat and a caramel jacket, had short dreadlocks, big eyes and was short in stature.
He said the second intruder was tall but he was not sure if the man was armed.
Madlala was one of the people who was present when Meyiwa was shot and killed in his girlfriend Khumalo’s family house in Vosloorus on the East Rand on October 26 2014.
The accused – Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya, Bongani Sandiso Ntanzi, Mthobisi Prince Mncube, Mthokoziseni Maphisa and Ntuli – have pleaded not guilty to charges of premeditated murder, attempted murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, possession of firearms without a licence, and ammunition.