Defence advocate Zandile Mshololo
Defence advocate Zandile Mshololo told the Pretoria high court on Thursday that the third state witness, Nthabiseng Pertunia Mokete, was fabricating her evidence regarding three men who allegedly ran past the Khumalo house on the night Senzo Meyiwa was killed in October 2014.
The Bafana Bafana captain died after being shot at the Vosloorus family home of singer Kelly Khumalo, who was his girlfriend at the time, although he was married.
On Wednesday, Mokete, a neighbour of the Khumalos who was in a car outside the home when the shooting occurred, described one of the three men as tall and lean, adding that his dreadlocks had flapped as he ran.
But Mshololo pointed out that Mokete had said in her statement made on 29 October 2014 that everything had happened too quickly and she could not describe any of the three men.
“The reason why you are only giving this description of the two males today, and you did not give it to the police, is because you are fabricating the story,” the defence lawyer said.
In response, Mokete said: “I said I could not identify them as I could not see their faces.”
Mshololo — who is representing accused number five Fisokuhle Ntuli — asked Mokete what the men were wearing and she said she could not remember.
Mokete told the court that a third shot was fired after the three men had run past the car she was in, towards a park nearby. She said she had not seen anyone run from the Khumalo house.
The trial started afresh last week after a new judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng was appointed to the case to replace Tshifhiwa Maumela, who was suspended for misconduct after failing to deliver judgments on time.
The five people on trial — Mthokozisi Maphisa, Sibiya, Bongani Ntanzi, Mthobisi Ncube and Ntuli — have pleaded not guilty to charges of premeditated murder, attempted murder, armed robbery, illegal possession of a firearm and the illegal possession of ammunition.