Tumelo Madlala describes how Meyiwa pushed an intruder against the wall before he was shot

Former Orlando Pirates goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa held the hand of one of the two intruders and pressed him against the wall inside the kitchen just before a shot that killed him was fired.

 At the sound of the deafening gunshot, Meyiwa’s friend, Tumelo Madlala, ran to safety into one of the bedrooms but could not go out through the window because the window had burglar bars.

And when he came out of the bedroom, Madlala told the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria that all he could hear were voices calling out Meyiwa’s name, while Meyiwa lay on his left side between a couch and TV stand in the sitting room.

Madlala, tears showing in his eyes, says, “When I came out of the bedroom I could hear everyone calling Senzo’s name.

I went into the sitting room and I saw Senzo lying between the couch and the TV stand.#SABCNews #SenzoMeyiwatrial #SenzoMeyiwa

— Sipho King K Kekana (@KingKAzania) September 13, 2022

Unpacking Tumelo Madlala testimony: Chriselda Lewis

These details came out during the testimony of Meyiwa’s childhood at the Senzo Meyiwa trial on Tuesday afternoon. 

Pointing at a picture on a screen in court, voice audibly shaky, Madlala has told the court, “He was lying there. The way he was lying down, I don’t know whether he was hiding,” showing the court Senzo lay on his left side between the couch and the TV stand. 

Madlala has reiterated the state’s case that two intruders stormed into the house and demanded cellphones and money. 

Moments before the intruders arrived, Madlala had stood outside and chatted with Meyiwa who had told him of his plans to travel to Durban and buy things for his family and book himself and Kelly Khumalo into a hotel.

Constantly exchanging deep stares with accused 1 and 2, Madlala says he walked back inside the house and things started happening. 

“Then someone walked in. He had a firearm and had dreadlocks and wore a jacket and I am not sure whether it was caramel or brown. We just saw something standing there, (pointing to a point on the sketch.) He had a scotch hat on,” he says. 

Describing the first intruder, Madlala says, “The person was short and had big eyes. That’s all I can remember. He didn’t say a lot. He asked for phones and money. He spoke in Zulu.” 

Madlala says it was Longwe who was the first to react, pushing one of the intruders on his way out. 

“When he pushed this guy at the opening, that’s when the people who were in the house got a chance to stand up. I think Kelly went into that room (pointing at the sketch.)” 

Madlala says there was a commotion at that stage. He says when he got up, he then saw a second guy who was tall. This is the man whose hand Meyiwa grabbed and pressed against the wall. 

“My intention was to get out of the house and when I got there, I hit the guy with a fist here (pointing to the left side of his face.) While I was there and Senzo held this guy against the wall, a shot went off. The one that came in first was being assaulted by Zandi, MaKhumalo, and Kelly because I think Kelly had my crutches.”  

Baloyi: Where was the sound of the gunshot coming from

Madlala: I think it was from the kitchen because it was a loud sound that close my ears.
#SABCNews #SenzoMeyiwatrial #SenzoMeyiwa

— Sipho King K Kekana (@KingKAzania) September 13, 2022

He says after the gunshot he then ran into one of the bedrooms to his safety.

Madlala: I went into the room and there were a lot of clothes and blankets and that is where I hid my phone. I wanted to go out through the window but there were burglar bars. #SABCNews #SenzoMeyiwatrial #SenzoMeyiwa

— Sipho King K Kekana (@KingKAzania) September 13, 2022

The judge intervened at this stage asking why Madlala was mentioning the issue of crutches for the first time. 

“Will you take us through this crutch because it sounds like it is appearing from nowhere?” asked the judge. 

“When I arrived, I was on crutches,” says Madlala. 

Madlala’s voice began to shake and tears began to well in his shiny eyes when he began to talk about the condition in which he found Meyiwa when he came out of the bedroom. 

Baloyi: Where was Senzo at the time?

Baloyi: I don’t where everyone ran to because after the gunshot had gone off, I ran into the bedroom.#SABCNews #SenzoMeyiwatrial #SenzoMeyiwa

— Sipho King K Kekana (@KingKAzania) September 13, 2022

He earlier insisted that he could continue despite evidently becoming emotional, however, state advocate George Baloyi, leading Madlala’s evidence in chief, asked for an early adjournment to allow the witness to gather himself.

The state has asked for the adjournment to allow the witness a chance to gather himself.

The case has been postponed to Wednesday.#SABCNews #SenzoMeyiwatrial #SenzoMeyiwa pic.twitter.com/4vKzjBM8BI

— Sipho King K Kekana (@KingKAzania) September 13, 2022

Madlala will continue with his evidence in chief on Wednesday before TT Thobane for accused 1 to 4 begins the cross-examination of the witness. 

Earlier, Madlala told the court that Meyiwa had called him to ask him if his girlfriend and mother of his child, Kelly Khumalo had sent him the money to travel to Johannesburg.  

He says immediately after the call, an SMS confirmation came through on his phone confirming that the money had been deposited into his account.  

“I used to come to visit him but that day he told me to get off in Spruitview and that I would get an offramp and that I should continue on it until the robots and that is where he would find me,” says Madlala.  

Madlala says there were four occupants in the BMW X6 that came to fetch him in Spruitview at about 5pm on Sunday, with Senzo driving with Kelly Khumalo in the front seat and Kelly’s sister, Zandi together with Meyiwa’s friend, Mthokozisi seated in the backseat.   

Spotting a blue t-shirt and jeans, Madlala has told the court they stopped to buy some liquor at a tavern on their way to Khumalo’s home, with Zandi and Mthoko being the ones going inside while Meyiwa and Khumalo remained outside being pictures taken by Madlala. 

He says upon arrival at Khumalo’s house they were introduced to Khumalo’s mother, Gladness.  

“He told us this is Kelly’s mom and she is the one that looks after our child. We sat there and we drank,” while watching a football game between Chelsea and Manchester United.   

Later on, he says a gentleman who was introduced as Longwe Twala, arrived. 

Being taken through a picture of the sitting room, depicting two black couches facing other, with a black mat in between and a TV stand with a TV set on top, Madlala has told the court that on the one couch sat Gladness Khumalo, Longwe and Zandi, while on the other he sat with Mthokozisi, and Senzo as well as Kelly at times.   

It was already in the evening when Madlala and Mthokozisi stepped outside for a smoke and when they were done smoking, he wanted to go back inside, but Mthokozisi, who he says is also a cousin to Senzo’s wife Mandisa, suggested that they wait a bit to get the smoke off them before they go back inside. 

It was upon returning back to the house that the shooting happened.