Facing the music: Longwe, son of Chicco Twala (above), has questions to answer. Photo: Masi Losi/Sowetan/Gallo Images
NEWS ANALYSIS
The charm offensive Sello “Chicco” Twala went on this week, including visiting footballer Senzo Meyiwa’s family home in KwaZulu-Natal, will not remove the stench from the aftermath of Meyiwa’s October 2014 murder.
Only the truth about his son Longwe Twala’s whereabouts moments after Meyiwa was fatally shot — and whether he gave a statement to the police on the night of the murder —could placate the soccer star’s family
and bring the long-running saga closer to closure.
To recap, Chicco Twala admitted this week that he had paid the Meyiwa family a visit on Friday, 19 November, after receiving a call from a journalist about something the footballer’s brother, Sifiso Meyiwa, had allegedly said, which had disturbed him.
In the live interviews the renowned music producer gave to news channels, he did not divulge the contents of his conversation with Meyiwa’s mother Ntombifuthi Meyiwa, only saying he had pledged his support to her.
“[I told Meyiwa’s mother] the law must take its course. I will never be in the way [of justice].
“If anything, if someone comes and says it’s my son [who killed Meyiwa], I will oblige,” Chicco said.
“It does not mean that if my son is in jail —found guilty — I will be on his side. I will definitely still be a friend to the [Meyiwa] family.”
However, Chicco has, himself, been implicated in the murder of Meyiwa, who died in what the state alleges was a botched house robbery at the Vosloorus, Gauteng, home of his girlfriend, singer Kelly Khumalo.
Tumelo Madlala, Meyiwa’s childhood friend and the state’s third witness, testified in September that Chicco had offered to take Khumalo on an overseas trip shortly after Meyiwa was gunned down.
Madlala said Chicco had made the offer at the gated complex in Mulbarton, south of Johannesburg, where he, Khumalo, her sister Zandi Khumalo and their mother Gladness Khumalo slept after Meyiwa’s killing.
The four of them, as well as Longwe Twala and Mthokozisi Thwala, also Meyiwa’s childhood friends, were the six adults present when Meyiwa was killed.
“I’m just not sure about the day but, while I was still in Mulbarton, Chicco Twala arrived. Because Kelly was crying, and I was also not well, Kelly informed Chicco that this is Senzo’s friend. I heard Chicco speaking to Kelly, asking Kelly whether she did not want to go overseas for a holiday,” Madlala testified.
Madlala’s testimony followed assertions in the trial made in June by Dan Teffo, who was the legal representative of the first four accused, that Kelly Khumalo had accidently shot Meyiwa with a revolver brought to the house by Longwe. The gun allegedly belonged to Chicco.
Teffo represented Muzikawu-Khulelwa Sibiya, Bongani Ntanzi, Mthobisi Ncube and Mthokoziseni Maphisa, while the fifth accused, Fisokuhle Ntuli, was represented by advocate Zandile Mshololo.
The five are charged with premeditated murder, attempted murder, armed robbery, illegal possession of a firearm and the illegal possession of ammunition, to which they have pleaded not guilty. They are all in custody.
Longwe’s whereabouts moments after Meyiwa was shot are still unknown as the musician’s son is still the only one of the six adults who were at the crime scene who cannot be accounted for.
Responding a question by state prosecutor George Baloyi as to which other car, besides Meyiwa’s BMW X6, was in the Khumalo family yard on the night of Meyiwa’s murder, Madlala testified: “I think the Polo belonged to Longwe.”
Madlala added: “Now that I think [about it], it was Longwe’s Polo because I also saw the very same vehicle in Mulbarton.”
Asked by Baloyi where Longwe Twala was after the intruders had fled, Madlala said: “I don’t remember seeing Longwe.”
Therefore, if Chicco Twala really is a “friend of the Meyiwa family”, he should frog-march his son to the police and the prosecutors so that Longwe can clarify where he was after Meyiwa was killed whether he gave a statement to the police.
Chicco set a precedent for taking his son to the police in January 2020 when he took him to the Diepkloof police station in Soweto because Longwe had allegedly stolen from him.
A video surfaced of Chicco handing over his son at the police station, directing a profanity-laced tirade at Longwe, who stared blankly into space without saying a word.
“My name is destroyed. Everyone, when they see Chicco Twala, they see a drug lord, they see a criminal,” Chicco shouted.
“I would rather bury you; you’re better off dead than for you to destroy my name like this. Senzo Meyiwa, this stealing from people; drugs and all that — I can’t stand this bullshit.”
If Chicco really wants to repair his destroyed name, he would do better to get his son to tell the truth, instead of the media and Meyiwa family charm offensive of this week.
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