Former Orlando Pirates goalkeeper, Senzo Meyiwa’s childhood friend, Tumelo Madlala has become the fourth witness to tell the High Court in Pretoria that despite him having his cell phone with him after Meyiwa was shot, he didn’t call for help.
Zandile Khumalo, and Tumelo Madlala who were in the house when Meyiwa was shot, as well as Nthabiseng Mokete, who was in the car on the street when this happened, told the court that they never called the police.
Under cross-examination, Madlala has told the court that he didn’t think of calling for help when he ran for cover into one of the bedrooms and, instead of calling, hid his phone under the blankets.
This is as the defense counsel for accused 1 and 2 asked him why he never called 10111.
“I have never dialed that number. You see, when you are in a situation it’s a different story. When you have never been in a situation it’s easy to say why didn’t you do that but when you are in the situation you experience it differently,” says Madlala.
Ramosepele: And yet these people do not search people in the house.
Madlala: To search people you need to have a way of lying down so that you can do that. But all of us were never instructed to do that.
Court adjourns.#SABCNews #SenzoMeyiwatrial #SenzoMeyiwa
— Sipho King K Kekana (@KingKAzania) August 8, 2023
Ramosepele sought to poke holes in the version that two intruders had entered the house and demanded cell phones and money when only Kelly Khumalo’s cell phone was stolen and no other valuable items were taken.
“Zandile Khumalo testified that as the first intruder, holding a gun, she hid her phone under a cushion on the couch,” says Ramosepele.
“MaKhumalo’s cell phone was also charging in the kitchen, but intruders don’t take it,” he adds.
“I can’t speak on her behalf. Mind you, I am also inside the house, and I cannot be monitoring every movement as I am also thinking of running away … I wish you could ask me about things that I wrote,” says Madlala.
Ramosepele: Longwe had money and cell phone and yet he runs out.
Madlala: Who says had money that one?#SABCNews #SenzoMeyiwa #SenzoMeyiwatrial
— Sipho King K Kekana (@KingKAzania) August 8, 2023
Cell phone expert and Investigating Officer, Colonel Lambertus Steyn, previously told the court that none of the people who were in the house had called either the police or emergency services.
Madlala became visibly upset when Ramosepele put it to him that there were no intruders that had entered the house that evening.
Judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng had to intervene and remind Madlala that Ramosepele was merely doing his job.
Despite not having previously given the description of accused 2, Bongani Ntanzi, to the police, Meyiwa’s longtime friend has stuck to his guns that he had erred when he identified him in court as the taller intruder who entered the house wearing a hoodie.
Ntanzi, through his legal representative, has denied that he was in the vicinity of Vosloorus on that evening, and in an unexpected turn of events invited Madlala to get a closer look at his face in court. However, Madlala declined.
“I will never get closer to him. He’s an enemy to me. I don’t care about them (the accused) and I am not scared of them. The way they keep looking at me, I don’t care,” said Madlala, audibly annoyed.
“The first thing that happened as I walked into this courtroom, was I could tell I saw this person and I knew I had seen him before. And I asked myself, where have I seen this person before? I also remembered him by how he had trimmed his beard. And further that he was tall.”
Ramosepele: He says he’s never had that style on his beard and that he’s always looked like he is here in court.
Madlala: I don’t know what he means by that. It means I am mad. But I know what I saw.
Madlala has conceded under cross-examination that he was not 100% sober when the two alleged intruders stormed into the house, even though he says he had had a clear view of Ntanzi’s face to remember his for years to come.
Advocate Charles Mnisi will start his cross-examination of the witness at 13h45.
Ramosepele: Do you remember calling Nokuthula Hazel Hlophe?
Madlala: I don’t remember calling Nokuthula. The person I remember calling was Sfiso and then person I was in a relationship with.
But you know her?
Yes.
And Mlungisi Edward Hlophe? #SABCNews #SenzoMeyiwatrial
— Sipho King K Kekana (@KingKAzania) August 8, 2023
The trial continues.
