‘Senzo Meyiwa’s body was getting cold’: Teary Zandile Khumalo tells court

Court proceedings had to be briefly adjourned after Zandile Khumalo, the sister of singer Kelly Khumalo, broke down in tears on the witness stand in the murder trial of former Bafana Bafana captain Senzo Meyiwa.

On Wednesday, Zandile continued with her testimony in the Pretoria High Court as the first state witness of the trial, which had to start afresh this week after President Cyril Ramaphosa suspended Judge Tshifhiwa Maumela.

Maumela has been replaced by Judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng in the trial.

The five men alleged to have killed Meyiwa have pleaded not guilty.

They are facing charges of premeditated murder, attempted murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, possession of firearms without a licence and possession of ammunition.

‘Senzo is no more’

During court proceedings, Zandile, who was one of the six people at her mother’s house in Vosloorus when Meyiwa was shot in October 2014, narrated the former Bafana Bafana and Orlando Pirates goalkeeper’s last moments as they rushed him to the Botshelong Hospital.

Asked to describe what happened enroute to the hospital by state prosecutor advocate George Baloyi, Zandile said her sister was driving while she attended to Meyiwa by trying to put pressure on his wound.

“I noticed his eyes were wide open and he was looking up. I kept touching his face and saying ‘Senzo, Senzo, stay with us we are about to arrive at the hospital’. I then lifted his t-shirt and I could feel that he was now cold in his stomach,” she said while sobbing.

The court adjourned for a few minutes after Zandile began crying.

Following the short break, the witness told the court that it took them at least 10 to 15 minutes to arrive at the hospital where she then rushed to the emergency area and asked for help.

ALSO READ: Zandie Khumalo says she could not remember police number when Senzo Meyiwa was shot

“[Hospital employees] came out with a stretcher and I showed them where we had parked the vehicle. They took him out of the vehicle and put him on the stretcher, but you could just see he could not move or do anything. They took him inside and we followed,” she explained.

Zandile said they were denied access to the room where Meyiwa was being examined.

“While we were still waiting, my mother [Gladness Khumalo] arrived in the company of [Zandile’s boyfriend at the time] Longwe [Twala]. My mother then asked where they had taken him. We pointed towards that room and she proceeded to go there.

“In no time, I just heard my mother crying and that’s when we realised things weren’t going well. She came to us and said ‘U Senzo akasekho‘ [Senzo is no more]. We all stood there crying and while we were sitting there [Longwe’s father] Chicco Twala arrived,” she said.

Watch the court proceedings below:

‘Kelly said her goodbyes’

The witness said Orlando Pirates players arrived alongside Meyiwa’s wife Mandisa after a while.

She explained that Mandisa’s friends, after arriving at the hospital, started assaulting Kelly by pulling out her hair.

“I then went to Mandisa and told her that what they were doing was not okay because Senzo did not like noise. Kelly then requested to go inside and to see Senzo. She asked me to accompany her.

“We then went into the room where they kept him… Kelly started speaking to him, kissed him on his forehead and removed his earrings. I think he was also wearing a watch which she removed. She said her goodbyes and we then left the room.”

READ MORE: Senzo Meyiwa trial: Witness denies lovers spat between Longwe Twala and Zandi Khumalo

Zandile said the media had started arriving at the hospital as she, her mother, Kelly and Meyiwa’s friend, Tumelo Madlala went back home around 11pm.

She further told the court that they noticed that the house had been cordoned off with the yellow tape when they arrived.

The witness said they found a lot of people – including police and neighbours – inside the house as they entered.

She added that there was also a woman who introduced herself as a government department official.

The trial continues.