The Senzo Meyiwa murder trial has seen explosive revelations this week, as the Gauteng North High Court begins to get a more clearer picture about the night the former goalkeeper was gunned down at his girlfriend Kelly Khumalo’s house in Vosloorus.
The trial, which was restarted about two weeks ago after Judge Tshifiwa Maumela fell ill, appears to be moving swiftly under the retired presiding officer, Judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng, who is quickly gaining a reputation for his direct and no holds barred approach.
From questions about matric certificates, to the number of gunshots fired, whether there was crying or wailing at the hospital and cellphone records taking centre stage in the case, the past week in the Meyiwa murder trial has been explosive.
The week started with State prosecutor Advocate George Baloyi dropping a bombshell in court, disclosing that the State did not intend to call Kelly Khumalo onto the witness stand.
The five murder accused are:
– Accused 1, Muzikawukhulelwa Sthemba Sibiya,
– Accused 2, Bongani Sandiso Ntanzi,
– Accused 3, Mthobisi Prince Ncube,
– Accused 4, Mthokoziseni Ziphozonke Maphisa, and,
– Accused 5, Fisokuhle Nkani Ntuli.
Here’s what happened in the trial this week.
– MONDAY
The week started with a surprise, as Baloyi told the court the State did not intend to call witness Kelly Khumalo onto the stand. The State did not furnish reasons for their decision, but events which played out in court later in the week, may have given indications about why the State was weary to call Kelly Khumalo, the mother of Meyiwa’s daughter, Thingo, to the stand.
This was revealed by Baloyi during the cross-examination of Kelly’s younger sister, Zandile Khumalo.
The legal representative of accused 4, Advocate Zithulele Nxumalo, told the court he would be bringing an application for Kelly Khumalo to take the stand.
Nxumalo had pointed out contradictions in the testimony of Zandile, compared to her sister’s written statement.
Zandile told the court a tussle between the intruders and the people in the house had taken place in the kitchen, while her sister said it took place in the dining room (lounge).
An angry Zandile also clashed with advocate Nxumalo, telling him “I am not your wife” as she took exception to the line of questioning.
Khumalo had been irked by Nxumalo, who put to her that her statements were inconsistent and her blame of police on how they wrote the statements, was further proof that she was lying.
An angry Zandile told Nxumalo: "Please watch your tone when you speak to me. I am not your wife, I am someone else's wife”.
Mokgoatlheng intervened ending the fiery exchange.
Later, under re-examination by Advocate Zandile Mshololo, who represents accused 5, Zandile snapped again when she was asked if she had a matric certificate.
“What does that have to do with anything,” she replied sharply.
The question was rephrased and she was asked her highest qualification, to which she answered “marketing”, without explaining further.
– TUESDAY
Judge Mokgoatlheng blocked questions fired at Zandile as Mshololo tried to lead evidence in court on statements made by witnesses who had yet to testify, that Meyiwa had been killed while trying to separate a fight in the house.
Mokgoatlheng said the questions were not in the interest of justice after Baloyi objected to the question, saying the witnesses would be called to testify.
– WEDNESDAY
One of the Khumalo neighbours, Nthabiseng Mokete, who had been in a car outside her house when she heard the first gunshot, testified the sequence in which she heard the gunshots.
Mokete told the court it was about 8pm, when they heard a gunshot, but did not know where it emanated from.
Moments later, a tall and slim man, was seen running in the streets towards the nearby park..
About 10 to 15 minutes later, a second gunshot was fired and two men of average height, one of them with dreadlocks, ran past, also towards the park.
Mokete said the third shot was fired immediately after they saw two men running towards the park. She said no one else ran towards the park.
– THURSDAY
Mokete ended her testimony on Thursday by telling the court that the Khumalos, Meyiwa’s friends Tumelo Madlala and Mthokozisi Thwala, had all been weeping uncontrollably at the hospital where Meyiwa was declared dead by doctors.
She told the court that she did not think they had been acting as they cried.
She recalled how Kelly’s mother, Ntombi Gladness Khumalo, who was in tears said to Meyiwa “please don't die” and “what will we say to the Meyiwas”.
Colonel Lambertus Steyn, an analyst from the SAPS Cold Case unit took to the witness stand on Thursday afternoon, where he told the court how Kelly Khumalo had been contacted by accused 5 twice on her cellphone before the murder.
Steyn had been roped into the Meyiwa murder case by investigating officer Brigadier Bongani Gininda in April 2020.
Steyn has told the court that they had established at least two phone calls between Kelly Khumalo and accused five, Ntuli. The calls were made on August 2, 2014, and October 15, 2014.
More calls between Kelly Khumalo and the accused were uncovered.
Steyn also found that Kelly Khumalo's phone had been rebooted at 1:31 am, just hours after Meyiwa was shot dead.
– FRIDAY
Steyn also revealed in court that he had established that a sim swap for Meyiwa’s number had been done just a day after his death.
There were also eight unanswered calls between Meyiwa’s phone and the former Kaizer Chiefs footballer David Mathebula. It was unclear who had been calling who between Meyiwa and Mathebula, as the cellphone records showed it was a “call forward”, which did not have the ability to show which way the call was made.
The court also heard from Steyn, how Mncube’s 2015 arrest for being in possession of an unlicensed firearm in a Cleveland SAPS matter, led police to ultimately arresting and locating the five Meyiwa murder accused.
Steyn explained that analysis from the gun and the phone that was found on Mncube upon his arrest, led police to pictures of a dreadlocked Mncube.
Mncube had been sporting dreadlocks just days before Meyiwa’s death and on the day Meyiwa died, cellphone records downloaded from his own cellphone, showed.
IOL