Africa-Press – South-Africa. After former Orlando Pirates and Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa was shot dead, his girlfriend at the time, Kelly Khumalo, allegedly refused to give police access to the estate he lived on, the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria heard.
This was the testimony of Meyiwa’s close friend, Tumelo Madlala, when he gave evidence for a second day on Wednesday in the trial into Meyiwa’s murder.
Madlala was testifying about events of 26 October 2014 when Meyiwa was shot at Khumalo’s Vosloorus home. He was there when Meyiwa was shot. Other eyewitnesses included Khumalo, her mother Gladness, her sister Zandi, Longwe Twala, who was dating Zandi, and another one of Meyiwa’s friends, Mthokozisi Thwala.
After Meyiwa was declared dead at the hospital, he and others, including Khumalo, returned to the Vosloorus house. Police had already cordoned it off and several officers in the house and yard.
One police officer was standing near to the entrance of the house and confiscated Madlala, Khumalo and Zandi’s cellphones before they entered.
Once he was in the house, Madlala testified, a pastor took him to a bedroom to pray for him because he was crying.
He also testified that a police officer at the scene took a statement from him.
From there, he, Khumalo and Zandi were escorted to Mulbarton to a complex where Meyiwa lived.
He said he didn’t know how long they were at the Vosloorus house before they left for Mulbarton, but added that they left in the early hours of the morning.
The witness said he could not remember who escorted them, but recalled that the man was light of complexion and drove a white BMW.
He said that Khumalo had driven them in Meyiwa’s BMW X6. A while after arriving at the house, Madlala claimed, security guards stationed at the estate gate called Khumalo to say that police were there to see her.
He said she did not allow them access to the estate, but added that they ended up getting access anyhow.
Madlala said:
After the lights were switched off, Khumalo called someone and police left shortly thereafter.
He believed that the police were ordered to leave after the call was made.
He added that he didn’t know whether Khumalo had another cellphone, other to the one that was confiscated earlier in the evening, or a landline to make the call and to receive a call from the security guards at the estate.
According to Madlala, South African musician and producer Chicco Twala later visited Khumalo at the Mulbarton house. Chicco, the father of one of the other eyewitnesses, Longwe, allegedly asked Khumalo if she was interested in going on an overseas holiday.
Foot in a cast
Earlier in the day, Madlala testified that during the shooting, he managed to run to the bedroom and that he later carried Meyiwa to a vehicle to rush him to hospital.
Although his foot was in a cast at the time, he told the court that he was able to walk without crutches and that it was his big toe that was injured.
One of the crutches was allegedly used to assault one of the assailants before Meyiwa was shot, the court heard.
A crutch was found on the kitchen floor next to a scotch hat, which was believed to belong to one of the perpetrators, and a bullet jacket.
Testifying about his interactions with the police, Madlala said he could not recall the times and dates of statements or when he was taken in for questioning. However, he could recall going to the police to describe the man who had the firearm and attending an ID parade, where he did not recognise anyone in the line-up.
He also told the court that he was threatened on one occasion when he was taken in for questioning.
He testified that police would pick him up in Durban and take him to Gauteng for questioning but would not buy food along the way. This stopped after he reported it, the court heard.
The trial continues.
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