By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Senzo Meyiwa’s longtime friend Mthokozisi Thwala was back on the stand on Thursday as the footballer’s murder trial continues at the Pretoria High Court.
Thwala testified in the first trial earlier this year but was called to rehash his version of events after proceedings recently started from scratch.
He has stuck to his story, telling the court that the former Bafana Bafana captain was shot during an altercation with two alleged intruders in Vosloorus in 2014.
Bongani Ntanzi, Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya, Mthobisi Mncube, Mthokoziseni Maphisa and Fisokuhle Ntuli are on trial for the murder of Meyiwa, the former Bafana Bafana and Orlando Pirates goalkeeper. They face charges of murder, attempted murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, possession of an unlicensed firearm and possession of ammunition.
Legal counsel for Ntanzi and Sibiya, advocate Sipho Ramosepele, grilled Thwala on inconsistencies between his testimony and the statements he deposed to police after the incident.
Ramosepele referred to Thwala’s statement to police on 27 October 2014, a day after Meyiwa’s murder.
“In the statement, you wrote that Longwe [Twala, who was also in the house] grabbed the gun from the intruder, and in your evidence-in-chief here in court, you testified that he pushed the person. Which one is it?” Ramosepele asked Thwala.
Thwala replied that he made a subsequent statement to the police to clarify the grab and push elements.
Thwala said: That mistake was made by the police officer who took down the statement. I didn’t write that, but the person who was writing it down is the police officer, and he was probably confused about what I said.
Ramosepele, trying to poke holes in Thwala’s testimony, asked him about his testimony regarding the intruder that he said had dreadlocks.
“In court, you said the person was wearing dreadlocks, but in your statement you said he was wearing the hoodie. Which one is correct here?” Ramosepele asked.
Thwala also pinned this discrepancy on the police and said the officer who wrote down the statement must have confused the two suspects.
Thwala told Ramosepele that the discrepancies he picked up were not material.
Ramosepele wondered why Thwala would sign a statement to police if it was inaccurate.
“You are a very brilliant person. You correct an editor of a 10-chapter book in two days. At the ID parade in Pietermaritzburg, you didn’t want to implicate the wrong person falsely and insisted that you emphasise to the investigating officer that you are not saying he was the suspect; you just said he had similar features. When Ms Joyce Buthelezi wanted to make a statement or put words in your mouth, you refused. So, how is it that you managed to put your signature on the statement that had incorrect information?” Ramosepele said.
Thwala replied that this was the case because he was now ‘alert’.
He said before Senzo’s murder, he had never deposed any statement to the police or found himself in a situation where he would need to make statements.
Meanwhile Kelly Khumalo has been removed from the line-up of the highly anticipated Maseru Jazz Festival following dramatic testimony in the Meyiwa trial.
The festival’s management announced on Thursday that the decision was taken to safeguard the integrity of the event and to give Kelly Khumalo time to deal with accusations arising from the court proceedings.
Khumalo’s name came up when SA Police Service cellphone analyst Lambertus Steyn’s testified in court last week.
Steyn revealed that a phone linked to the singer received calls from a number associated with alleged hitman Ntuli several months before the murder of her former lover, Meyiwa.
Despite the lack of evidence directly tying Kelly Khumalo to any crime, the festival organisers chose to act cautiously.
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Video Courtesy of ENCA.