Pretoria - The State's third witness in thr Senzo Meyiwa murder trial, Tumelo Madlala, was back in the witness stand on Monday where he was questioned about statements he made to police after his friend was killed.
Madlala had a tough afternoon on the stand after he had to explain certain parts of his statement to advocate Timothy Thobane who is representing four of the five accused men.
Thobane read a statement made by Madlala where he mentioned that he never told anyone that Longwe Twala killed Meyiwa as he was not carrying a gun on the day of the murder and ran away from the scene.
“Why did you have to write that statement, who asked you about Longwe carrying a firearm or Longwe not carrying a firearm and shots being fired by Longwe ... who asked you that question, that’s very crucial,” Thobane asked Madlala.
Madlala said he gave police a lot of statements and he did not remember everything in detail.
He told the court that he never wrote any statements as police were asking questions and were writing the statement.
Despite signing the statement, Madlala said the police officer who was writing the statement should be questioned.
Earlier, Thobane accused Madlala of lying, saying he pointed out one of the accused as Meyiwa’s killer after he saw him in the media but failed to identify him during an identity parade.
“I do not agree with that. Fortunately, I am not a TV person, or the media. I don’t believe in those things. And what happened is that that day, even though I don’t remember, he was wearing a jacket that had a hood. Even though I may not remember the colour ... I know what I am talking about.
“And a person you have seen before, if you meet this person again it won’t be difficult to recognise that person. And I won’t tell lies about a person. Even that person knows,” Madlala replied.
During the previous sitting of the trial, Madlala dropped a bombshell, as he identified Bongani Sandiso Ntanzi as one of the men who entered the house on the October 2014 night when Meyiwa was brutally killed.
The other four men standing trial with Ntanzi are Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya, Mthobisi Mncube, Mthokoziseni Maphisa and Sifokuhle Ntuli.
They are facing charges of murder, attempted murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, possession of an unlicensed firearm as well as possession of ammunition.
All of the five accused have pleaded not guilty.
Meyiwa was killed on October 26, 2014, while in the company of his girlfriend and the mother of his child, Kelly Khumalo, in Vosloorus.
In the house that day were Meyiwa, Kelly and her younger sister, Zandile, their mother Ntombi Khumalo (MaKhumalo), Longwe Twala, Meyiwa’s friends Mthokozisi Thwala and Tumelo Madlala, Kelly’s then four-year-old son, Christian, and Thingo, her daughter with Meyiwa.
The trial continues on Tuesday.
IOL