Senzo Meyiwa murder trial: Defence pokes holes in Tumelo Madlala’s testimony

The defence in the trial against the five men accused of killing Senzo Meyiwa has poked holes in the evidence given by the State’s third witness, Tumelo Madlala.

Senzo Meyiwa murder trial

Advocate Zandile Mshololo, the defence lawyer for accused number five, on Tuesday, grilled Madlala on his testimony at the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria.

Madlala was Meyiwa’s childhood friend and among the witnesses that were present when the former Bafana Bafana and Orlando Pirates goalkeeper was fatally shot on 26 October 2014.

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Meyiwa was allegedly gunned down during a botched robbery at the family home of his then-lover, musician Kelly Khumalo, in Vosloorus, Ekurhuleni.

At the time of his murder, Madlala was visiting Meyiwa in Gauteng from KwaZulu-Natal, where he resides.

Cross-examination

In his examination in chief by the State, Madlala had testified that he didn’t have any money to travel to Johannesburg to visit his friend.

He also said Khumalo gave him money to travel back home to KZN a few days after Meyiwa was killed.

Advocate Mshololo challenged Madlala on his version of events in her cross-examination.

“How come you did not have money to travel to Johannesburg because it was on the same day that you had received your salary?” Mshololo asked.

Madlala admitted that when he arrived in Gauteng he had already been paid on 25 October 2014, from his job as a general worker at a local school in Durban.

“At that time, I was injured and Senzo was the one who sent me money. I never asked him to send me money, he volunteered to,” he said.

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Madlala also could not recall how long he stayed at Khumalo’s Mulbarton townhouse in the south of Johannesburg after the soccer star was killed.

The singer stayed with Meyiwa in the townhouse.

“I don’t recall the time I spent at Kelly’s place after the incident… If I’m not mistaken, I think it was three or four days.”

Rift with the Meyiwa family

Advocate Mshololo also questioned Madlala on his relationship with the Meyiwa family.

Madlala revealed that after the soccer player was murdered, there was a rift between him and the family, especially with Meyiwa’s late father, Samuel.

“My relationship with the family was alright but things changed when Senzo was killed. Senzo’s father once came looking for me and found my then-girlfriend and started shouting and insulting her.

“I also remember travelling in a car with Senzo’s brother, Sifiso, and I greeted his mother, but she did not greet me back and I don’t know why,” Madlala said.

Advocate Mshololo asked him: “Is it not because they were accusing you of not revealing the truth about this case?”

“I don’t know if they were accusing me of anything,” Madlala said in response.

Alcohol

Madlala was also grilled on whether he was sober on the night that Meyiwa was killed.

He admitted that he and Meyiwa had consumed alcohol, but insisted that he could still remember accused number two, Bongani Sandiso Ntanzi, as the alleged hitmen the soccer player allegedly pinned against the wall at the Khumalo house.

However, Advocate Mshololo was not convinced by his answer.

“Do you agree with me that at the time the alleged intruder came into the house, you were not sober and in your sound senses because you drank alcohol?”

“Yes we were drinking but it doesn’t mean we were all drunk… I wasn’t drunk to a point that I could not see anything that was happening,” Madlala said.

In September, Madlala took part in dock identification wherein he pointed out Ntanzi as the man who Meyiwa got into a struggle with on the night he was killed. 

Ntanzi, Sifisokuhle Ntuli, Muzikawukhulelwa Sthemba Sibiya, Mthobisi Prince Ncube and Mthokoziseni Ziphozonke Maphisa are standing trial for Meyiwa’s murder and have pleaded not guilty.

The men have been charged with premeditated murder, attempted murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, possession of firearms without a licence and possession of ammunition.

The trial is expected to resume on Wednesday morning, with Advocate Mshololo continuing her cross-examination of Madlala.

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