By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Senzo Meyiwa’s murder trial continued with Zandile Khumalo’s testimony in the Pretoria High Court. Judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng has taken over the reins and the trial started afresh on Monday.
Khumalo was the first state witness in the trial of the five men accused of murdering Meyiwa.
The trial got under way last year but had to start afresh on Monday after President Cyril Ramaphosa suspended Judge Tshifhiwa Maumela for failing to deliver numerous reserved judgments within reasonable time frames.
Maumela also fell ill and it became apparent that he would not be able to continue with the matter.
Everything that had happened in the original trial was nullified, and Mokgoatlheng was roped in to handle the trial.
Khumalo was one of the six people in the house where the Bafana Bafana and Orlando Pirates goalkeeper was shot.
The other people were her sister, Kelly Khumalo, who was Meyiwa’s girlfriend and mother of his child; their mother, Ntombi; Zandile’s boyfriend, Longwe Twala; Meyiwa’s two friends, Tumelo Madlala and Mthokozisi Thwala.
The five men alleged to have killed Meyiwa – Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya, Bongani Ntanzi, Mthobisi Mncube, Mthokoziseni Maphisa and Fisokuhle Ntuli – are standing trial for premeditated murder, attempted murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, possession of firearms without a licence and possession of ammunition.
During her testimony, an emotional Zandile relayed to the court the events leading to the shooting and Meyiwa’s last moments, including the rush to get help after he was shot.
“When I came out of the bathroom, I saw Senzo was bleeding. I remembered that I hid my phone behind the cushion. I found my phone still there, I tried to dial 10111, but my mind just froze,” she told the court.
Zandile said she then ran to the house of her mother’s friend, Ma’Phiri, where she told her daughter what happened.
“She started panicking and asked her daughter, Nthabiseng, to make a call.
“When I got back to the house, I saw Mthokozisi [who is said to have been in the house when the shooting occurred], Khaya and Bulelelani [neighbours’ children] trying to put Senzo into the car.”
Before the trial got under way, the prosecutor, advocate George Baloyi, read the charges against the five men.
Mokgoatlheng then asked them if they understood the charges and the competent verdicts – which have to do with being found guilty of a lesser charge if the evidence led in court doesn’t point to the charge put by the state.
Making an example, Mokgoatlheng pointed out that in the charge of murder, if the evidence presented in court is not sufficient, he might still find them guilty of culpable homicide or found guilty of theft in a robbery charge.
On Wednesday, a visibly irritated Mokgoatlheng was forced into an early adjournment in the Meyiwa murder trial.
Mokgoatlheng was clearly unhappy when state prosecutor Adv Baloyi requested yet another postponement in the trial against five men accused of murdering the former Bafana Bafana captain.
Proceedings had to be adjourned early in the High Court in Pretoria after the state’s first witness in the re-hearing, Khumalo, complained of feeling ill.
Baloyi told the court that Khumalo was not “psychologically ready” to proceed with her testimony on Wednesday.
“What’s wrong with her… Have you not consulted with her?” questioned Mokgoatlheng.
“I think she can explain,” responded Baloyi.
Mokgoatlheng then proceeded to ask Khumalo what the problem was.
“What’s wrong with you?”
“I have a pain in my chest,” answered Khumalo.
Baloyi has also cited some accommodation issues encountered by Khumalo, which he believes will be sorted out by Thursday.
Defence for accused number one and two, Adv Sipho Ramosepele, is expected to begin his cross-examination of Khumalo on Thursday.
Khumalo, who is the sister of Meyiwa’s then-girlfriend Kelly Khumalo, was present at the house when the football star was gunned down in 2014.
Watch Live in the video below:
Video Courtesy of SABC.