Meyiwa case resumes in North Gauteng High Court today

THE eyes and ears of the country will once again be on the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria today to find out if there will be any more startling revelations as the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial resumes.

The trial resumes after a monthand-a-half-long hiatus, and is expected to continue until December 2.

The matter was postponed in September during the cross-examination of the State’s third witness, Tumelo Madlala, by the legal counsel for four of the five accused, advocate Thomas Thobane.

Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya, Bongani

Ntanzi, Mthobisi Mncube, Mthokoziseni Maphisa and Sifisokuhle Ntuli are on trial for the October 2014 murder of the Orlando Pirates and Bafana Bafana soccer player.

Madlala, who was an alleged friend of the soccer star, was one of the five people inside the Vosloorus home of singer Kelly Khumalo on the night Meyiwa was fatally shot.

In his cross-examination, Thobane accused Madlala of having been coached to lie about what happened on the night of the murder.

Madlala also appeared to contradict himself regarding which phone he had used to alert Meyiwa’s brother, Sifiso Meyiwa, about the incident. While giving his evidence in chief, Madlala testified that he called the brother from the Botshelong Hospital in Vosloorus after Meyiwa had been declared dead, using a phone he borrowed from a neighbour of the Khumalo family.

However, during cross-examination by Thobane, Madlala changed his testimony, stating that he had made the call from the Khumalo home using his own phone.

Thobane put it to Madlala that Longwe Twala, the son of renowned music producer Chicco Twala, arrived at the Khumalo home brandishing a revolver, whereafter an argument ensued over an alleged affair Meyiwa was having with Zandi Khumalo, Khumalo’s sister.

According to Thobane, it was during this argument when Meyiwa wrestled with Twala that he gave the firearm to Khumalo, who “accidentally shot” Meyiwa. Thereafter, Twala ran out of the house.

Thobane put it to Madlala that he had called the soccer player’s brother, telling him Meyiwa was shot by mistake. However, he added that Madlala was stopped by someone who was in the house from telling the brother the truth about the killing.

Madlala also struggled to recall such details as whether the lights in the room were on, but stated that the lighting from the television set was enough for him to identify the perpetrators.

He insisted that he had a clear view of both perpetrators despite having consumed alcohol.

Madlala remained adamant about what he saw, to the extent that he fingered Ntanzi, the second accused, as one of the men who attacked them that night.

Ntanzi, who has been in custody since 2020, pleaded with Judge Aubrey Ledwaba to be released on bail as he was the sole breadwinner for his family.

Judge Ledwaba reserved judgment on the application.

All five men have pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, attempted murder, armed robbery, illegal possession of a firearm and the illegal possession of ammunition.