More questions have emerged as to exactly what could have happened on the night former Orlando Pirates goalkeeper, Senzo Meyiwa, was shot and killed at Kelly Khumalo’s mum’s home in Vosloorus nine years ago.
This after a statement made by Kelly was read out in court on Thursday by Advocate Zithulele Nxumalo during Mthokozisi Thwala’s cross-examination.
According to the statement, Kelly, after she ran into one of the bedrooms after the two intruders entered the house, she was then followed by the alleged tall guy. The said intruder is said to have left when she locked the door.
“When I was in the room, I remembered that my child was in the other room. I left the room to go check on my child in the other room. When I went out, I saw my mother struggling with the tall guy. I then tried to help my mom push the tall again. I did not see what was happening behind me. I just heard gunshots,” reads the statement in part, a version that would poke holes in Thwala and Tumelo Madlala’s statements.
Nowhere did Madlala or Thwala put Kelly in any tussle that took place in the house. It is also according to Madlala’s version that by the time the shot went off, the tall guy was pressed against the wall in the kitchen by Meyiwa, while the short guy who had a gun was being assaulted by Zandi Khumalo and her mother, Gladness.
However, while Thwala and Madlala’s versions partially align on Zandi and her mother assaulting the gunman, but without placing Kelly there at any stage, Kelly’s version places the tall guy as the guy who struggled with her mother, in clear contradiction of both Thwala and Madlala.
Kelly does not reveal the position of the gunman except to say she could not see what was happening behind her before she heard a shot go off.
Nxumalo: And according to Kelly, the struggle is in the sitting room and not in the kitchen. She says I jumped backwards and my sister then said there was something that had hit her, she said she thought she had been shot.#SABCNews #SenzoMeyiwaTrial
— Sipho King K Kekana (@KingKAzania) May 11, 2023
Thwala has also told the court he was not part of any wrestling that took place. However, according to Kelly’s statement, when she emerged from the bedroom, Thwala, together with Meyiwa and Madlala were in fact wrestling with the gunman, which contradicts Thwala’s version.
According to Kelly’s statement, her sister Zandi thought she had been shot after the shot went off.
“I jumped backwards and my sister then said there was something that had hit her. She said she thought she had been shot,” read Nxumalo from the statement.
“I then saw Senzo running towards me trying to grab me. I grabbed him and I could see he was weak. He fell into my hands and I then realized there was blood on his back. I turned him over and noticed more blood on his chest. He fell on the couch and I helped him as I was screaming calling for help,” continued Nxumalo, reading from Kelly’s statement.
There have also been inconsistencies with the position where Meyiwa lay in the sitting room after he had been shot.
Before the months-long adjournment last year, Madlala, who was the first person present in the house on the night the former Bafana Bafana star was shot and killed, told the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria that he found Meyiwa on the right side of the sitting room where there were blood splatters, between the couch and the TV stand.
He told the court this was when he emerged from the bedroom where he had run after a shot had gone off during the commotion in the kitchen.
However, Thwala, under cross-examination, has told the court that he had found Meyiwa on the opposite side in the sitting room. This was away from where the blood splatters could be seen in one of the images taken in the house as an exhibit.
Advocate Nxumalo, for accused 4 Mthokoziseni Maphisa, concluded his cross-examination by asking Thwala if he had ever attended any identity parade since Maphisa was arrested in November 2020, to which Thwala responded in the negative.
When Nxumalo further asked Thwala to confirm whether he knew of Maphisa’s involvement in the crime, Thwala responded he had not testified to the involvement of any of the five accused.
Nxumalo: Is it true that you have not said about accused 4’s involvement in the crime.
Thwala: I have not said anything about anyone’s involvement.
Nxumalo: My lord, I have no further questions!#SABCNews #SenzoMeyiwaTrial
— Sipho King K Kekana (@KingKAzania) May 11, 2023
In 2020, Muzi Sibiya, Bongani Sandiso Ntanzi, Mthobisi Prince Mncube, Mthokoziseni Ziphozonnke Maphisa, and Fisokuhle Ntuli were charged with Meyiwa’s murder, attempted murder of other witnesses, robbery with aggravating circumstances, unlawful possession of a firearm, and possession of ammunition.
They have pleaded not guilty to the charges.
It is the state’s case that on the night of 26 October 2014, two intruders allegedly stormed into Kelly Khumalo’s mother, Gladness’ house in Vosloorus where Meyiwa, Madlala, Gladness, Kelly, Zandi Khumalo, Longwe Twala, and Mthokozisi Thwala were sitting in the lounge watching TV.
The alleged first intruder, who was short, had a hat on, had dreadlocks, and armed with a gun, is said to have demanded cellphones and money. This was moments before he was pushed over by Longwe Twala as he (Longwe) ran out of the house just before a commotion ensued in the house in the presence of the second alleged intruder, before a shot that killed Meyiwa went off.
