The five people on trial — Ncube, Bongani Ntanzi, Mthokozisi Maphisa, Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya and Fisokuhle 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. (Gallo Images/OJ Koloti)
Irate state witness Tumelo Madlala told the Pretoria high court on Tuesday he was “fed up” with the defence repeatedly saying that there were no intruders in the Khumalo house on 26 October 2014, when footballer Senzo Meyiwa was shot dead.
Madlala, a close friend of Meyiwa, was among the people in the house in Vosloorus, Gauteng, where the Bafana Bafana captain was fatally shot, in what the state says was a botched robbery. The house belonged to the family of singer Kelly Khumalo, Meyiwa’s girlfriend.
During his cross-examination by defence advocate Sipho Ramosepele before Judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng on Tuesday, a heated argument broke out between the two, with Madlala saying: “You do not know what I have gone through with this case. You are disrespecting me by saying there were no intruders inside that house. I was there. Yoh! I’m fed up with them [the defence] saying there was no intruders.”
“I put it to you that the truth of what happened in that house is only known by you, Kelly, Zandi [Khumalo], MaKhumalo [Gladness Khumalo] and Mthoko [Thwala],” Ramosepele said to Madlala.
“The truth I am talking about and presenting here is the truth that happened. What you are saying is lies. I don’t have time to play. I don’t mean to be disrespectful. Why would I lie?” Madlala responded.
Mokgoatlheng interjected and called Madlala to order: “Please, you do not have to argue with counsel. He is here to do his job and represent his client. Just answer his questions.”
Ramosepele referred to the evidence of the Khumalos’ neighbour, Khaya Ngcatshe, who said he and other neighbours went on the hunt for the intruders, before making their way back to the Khumalo house where they found Meyiwa lying alone on the kitchen floor.
He asked Madlala why no one in the house had called emergency services after Meyiwa was shot.
“In that 12 minutes, you, Kelly and Mthokozisi [Thwala], you all failed to call an ambulance,” Ramosepele said.
Madlala replied: “I don’t understand what you mean, there was no help given to Senzo? We carried Senzo into the [BMW] X6. You must remember that it was the circumstances; we were not relaxed.”
The murder trial started from scratch on 17 July, with Mokgoatlheng replacing the previous judge Tshifhiwa Maumela after he was suspended for misconduct for failing to deliver judgments within a reasonable period.
The five people on trial — Mthobisi Ncube, Bongani Ntanzi, Mthokozisi Maphisa, Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya and Fisokuhle 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.