By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Disbarred advocate Malesela Teffo, who used to represent four of the five accused standing trial, caused a stir in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on Tuesday morning, when he demanded to meet with presiding Judge Tshifhiwa Maumela in chambers.
Dressed in his legal robes, Teffo claimed that he had confidential information to disclose to the judge that he could not state in public, which led to a delay in the trial’s resumption.
Judge Maumela’s clerk then informed Teffo the judge had asked the legal representatives of the accused if their clients were comfortable with Teffo meeting him in chambers before the proceedings begin.
Teffo was not impressed by this saying he was “flabbergasted” and took “strong offense” to the judge’s request.
“I’m taking a very strong offence if the judge will say the accused should give the permission. I’ve never seen such a thing in my career,” he protested.
Earlier in the trial last year there was drama as police entered the court and arrested Teffo, putting him in handcuffs without an explanation.
He later told the court that Maumela was bewitching him.
However Teffo, prosecutor Adv George Baloyi and legal representatives then met with Maumela in the hallway.
Once court started, there was no indication of his presence or what had been discussed in the hallway.
Teffo also left the court while his “instructing attorney” remained.
A friend of Senzo Meyiwa who was with him at the time of his death said that he was uncomfortable with the soccer star’s relationship with singer, Kelly Khumalo.
Mthokozisi Thwala spent his first day in the witness stand in the Pretoria High Court on Tuesday.
He was among the people present when Meyiwa was fatally shot at the Vosloorus home of his girlfriend, Khumalo.
Thwala spent the day on the witness stand, relaying his version of events of 26 October 2014, the day Meyiwa died.
The court heard how Thwala was friends with the footballer’s wife, Mandisa Mkhize.
He detailed how Meyiwa met Khumalo multiple times in his presence and once even averting plans that they had made in order to watch her perform.
Thwala said that a few hours before Meyiwa was killed, he, Khumalo and her sister, Zandi, as well as Meyiwa’s childhood friend, Tumelo Madlala, all went to buy alcohol.
He said that Meyiwa could see that he was uncomfortable.
“It didn’t sit well with me, my lord, that I was in the company of Senzo, Kelly and Zandi, knowing very well that Mandisa was my friend. To someone else, that would look bad.”
The group would then proceed to Khumalo’s mother’s house.
There was a scuffle as Meyiwa, Madlala, the two intruders, Zandi and her mother were all in the kitchen. At one point, Kelly’s son, Christian, was also in the kitchen, before Thwala picked him up and placed him in the side of the sitting room.
According to Thwala, before the intruder entered the house and demanded cellphones, holding a gun, everyone was seated in the sitting room, where he sat in one couch in the middle of Madlala and Meyiwa, while Longwe Twala sat on the opposite couch with Zandi Khumalo and Kelly’s mother.
Thwala says at first, without any particular reason, he thought the intruder was someone the people in the house knew, but then realized that was not the case when he noticed the intruder – whom he has described as short and having dreadlocks – had a gun and demanded cellphones.
He says Twala was the first to rise up and run out of the house through the kitchen door, before he noticed a second intruder with a sharp object in the kitchen.
Thwala could not remember if Kelly was in the kitchen during the scuffle.
Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya, Bongani Sandiso Ntanzi, Mthobisi Prince Mncube, Mthokoziseni Maphisa and Sifisokuhle Nkani Ntuli are charged with premeditated murder, attempted murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, possession of firearms without a licence and possession of ammunition.The accused has pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.
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Video Courtesy of SABC.