Africa-Press – South-Africa. The lawyer for two of the five men accused of murdering Senzo Meyiwa has poked holes in eyewitness Mthokozisi Thwala’s version of what happened on the day the former Orlando Pirates and Bafana Bafana goalkeeper was shot dead.
This was because, in his testimony, Thwala described how one of the people in the house at the time ran past one of the armed intruders without being harmed or stopped, something advocate Sipho Ramosepele does not believe happened.
Thwala was back on the stand in the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on Monday where he is being cross-examined as an eyewitness.
Bongani Ntanzi, Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya, Mthobisi Ncube, Mthokoziseni Maphisa and Fisokuhle Ntuli are on trial for the murder of Meyiwa, who was shot dead on 26 October 2014.
Ramosepele, who is representing two of the accused, started his line of questioning by confirming Thwala’s testimony that they had been in a house in Vosloorus, when two intruders came in through the kitchen door and walked into the lounge where everyone was gathered.
The house is said to belong to Kelly Khumalo’s mother. Khumalo and Meyiwa were dating at the time.
In his testimony, Thwala said the first intruder had been armed with a gun, and that the second had a sharp object which could have been a knife.
He also told the court that after the gunman demanded money and cellphones, Longwe Twala – who was also in the house at the time – got up, pushed the gunman aside and ran outside.
Twala, the son of SA music legend Chicco Twala, was dating Khumalo’s sister Zandi at the time.
According to the State’s version, both Twala and Zandi were in the house when the two intruders entered.
Thereafter, Meyiwa and others had jumped up and a scuffle had ensued between them and the intruders, before a gunshot went off.
Ramosepele put it to Thwala that his version of Twala pushing a gunman aside and running away was untrue.
“Longwe Twala was there in the house when the shot was fired,” Ramosepele said.
He added that Thwala’s version was at odds with a “real live robbery situation”.
“This apparent act of bravado from Longwe Twala did not happen,” Ramosepele added.
“I don’t know how you want me to explain it, but that is how it happened,” Thwala retorted.
The trial continues.
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