In an effort to highlight inconsistencies from the first State witness, the defence spent most of Monday morning reading through three different statements made by Zandile Khumalo following the death of Bafana Bafana captain, Senzo Meyiwa.
Zandile was on the stand and under cross-exam by advocate Zithulele Nxumalo, who is representing one of the five men accused of killing Meyiwa during a botched robbery in 2014.
Khumalo was irked when Nxumalo said that her statements were inconsistent and her blaming police on how they wrote the statements, was further proof that she was lying.
“I put it to you that the person who shot Meyiwa was one of the people who were in the house; he didn’t shoot himself,” Nxumalo said.
“You can put it to me 50 times if that makes you sleep well at night, but there were two intruders that came into the house,” retorted Zandile.
“I don't like it when you talk to me like that,” Nxumalo replied sharply.
“Well, me too. If you raise your voice I will do the same. So, it's up to you,” replied Zandile.
“You are here to assist the court,” Nxumalo told Zandile.
“Yes, I am here to assist the court, but you are here to block it,” she replied.
Zandile then asked to say something before she continues with her cross-examination.
"Please watch your tone when you speak to me. I am not your wife, I am someone else's wife,’’ she told Nxumalo.
Judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng interjected and said the court's decorum should be maintained.
Last week, Zandile told that the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, that she had a mental block and failed to dial 10111 after the intruders fled the scene.
After reading all the statements, Nxumalo said she failed to mention that part to police.
“I do remember saying it, I did not say it for the first time in court. I have no control over what a police officer writes or considers important when taking statements,” she said.
Nxumalo also reminded her of a time when she said she didn’t hit the suspect because she was short and there were people in front her.
“Yes, I remember,’’ she said.
“But here in your statement, you mention that you hit him on the head,” Nxumalo reminded her.
“Thing is, I tried to hit him but I couldn't reach,” Zandile replied.
Nxumalo added that there was a text message that Longwe Twala, sent to his father, Sello Chicco Twala, saying Meyiwa was shot in front of them.
“He is suggesting he was there, but you said Longwe ran out,” said Nxumalo pointing to the inconsistency.
“He will come and speak for himself here in court, I can't speak on his behalf,” she replied.
Nxumalo said Zandile’s inconsistencies were an indication that she was lying and there was no robbery when the soccer star was fatally shot.
Instead, Nxumalo shifted the blame and said there was no intruder when Meyiwa was gunned down.
“The deceased was shot by one of the people in the house,’’ he argued.
“What you are saying does not exist,’’ Zandile responded.
Meyiwa was killed on October 26, 2014, in Vosloorus while visiting Kelly Khumalo, the mother of his child.
In the house that day were Meyiwa, Kelly Khumalo and her younger sister, Zandile, their mother Ntombi Khumalo, Longwe Twala, Meyiwa’s friends Mthokozisi Thwala and Tumelo Madlala, Kelly’s then 4-year-old son, Christian, and Thingo, her daughter with Meyiwa.
The trial continues.
IOL