Accused number 3, Prince Mthobisi Mncube, may have been the first intruder to break into the Khumalo family home in Voslurus on the evening of October 26, 2014, a court heard on Thursday.
State witness Thumela Madlala had earlier identified accused number 2, Bongani Ntazi, as one of the attackers.
According to state witnesses, Accused 3, Prince Mtabisi Mncube, was the first intruder to enter the house armed with short dreadlocks.#SABCNews #SenzoMeyiwa #SenzoMeyiwatrial pic.twitter.com/YTRsrKyO6v
— Sipho King K Kekana (@KingKAzania) September 15, 2022
This came after Madlala had earlier pointed to Ntanzi as the tall guy Meyiwa pinned against the wall – the guy Madlala stood up and punched him in the face as he stood with his back to the wall – before the shot rang out.
During the afternoon proceedings, TT Thobane, representing accused 1 to 4, began by asking Madlala in which hand the first intruder was holding the gun when he burst into the house wearing a taped hat and a brown or caramel jacket.
“I think it’s him,” Madlala replied.
Thobane told the witness that Ncube was left-handed, to which Madlala replied: “I don’t know about that.”
However, when Madlala was told that Ncube, 38, who is currently serving 35 years for another crime, had no dreadlocks on the day of the shooting, Madlala disputed this.
“This is a lie,” he said.
According to Madlala, the first attacker had short dreadlocks, according to an ID photo taken days after the incident.
Thoban spent time trying to poke holes in the witness’s version, which is also the state’s case, that two intruders broke into the home and demanded cellphones and money, minutes before a fight broke out between those inside the home that led to the fatal shot that took Meiva’s life.
Madlala rejected any other version as lies and fabrications, insisting that Meyiwa was not accidentally shot by one of the people who were in the house.
According to Thoban, the gun that killed Meyiwa was first produced by Longwe Twala, who arrived because Meyiwa was romantically involved with his girlfriend at the time, Zandi Khumalo, who is Meyiwa’s girlfriend’s sister and his daughter’s mother. .
Toban: I am telling you that there were no intruders.
Madlala: There were people. I told you.
Toban: I told you there was a commotion after Longwe entered.
Madlala: There was no such thing. He came and talked to Zandi. #SABCNews #SenzoMeyiwatrial
— Sipho King K Kekana (@KingKAzania) September 15, 2022
Thoban: “I told you there was a commotion after Longwe entered there.”
Madlala: “It didn’t happen like that. He went in and talked to Zandi.’
Toban: “Like I said, Senzo had a relationship with Zandi and Longwe didn’t like it.”
Madlala: “I don’t know about that.”
Tobane: “I also tell you that the witness who comes here will say that the people were arguing.”
Madlala: “That’s a lie.”
During cross-examination, the defense is expected to question Madlala about the size of the kitchen and his version of events.
Madlala told the court earlier this week that while Meyiwa pinned Ntanzi against the wall in the kitchen, Gladness Khumalo, along with her two daughters, Zandi and Kelly, attacked the first short attacker with Madlala’s crutches, during which a gunshot rang out.
How it all happened in the small kitchen is expected to be one of the focal points for the defense as they try to poke holes in the state’s case.
Four different police statements made by Madlala were also examined during cross-examination.
It is understood that since the incident in 2014, Madlala has made affidavits at various times, which in some cases contradict each other.
Madlala told the North Gauteng High Court on Tuesday that Longwe was the first to react, pushing one of the attackers on the way out.
“When he pushed this guy in the opening, then the people who were in the house got a chance to get up. I think Kelly went into that room (points to sketch).”
Madlala says there was turmoil at this stage.
He says that when he stood up, he saw another tall guy. This is the man whose hand Meiyiwa grabbed and pinned against the wall.
“My intention was to get out of the house and when I got there, I punched the guy (pointing to the left side of his face). While I was there, Senzo held this guy against the wall, shot and left. Whoever came first was attacked by Zandi, Makumala and Kelly because I think Kelly had my crutches.’
Once Madlala’s cross-examination begins, in addition to the five different statements he made, he will be asked to explain who exactly pulled the trigger.
So far he has only told the court about the gun held by the first attacker, who was being attacked with a crutch by Kelly, Zandi and Gladness Khumalo around the time of the shooting. At about that time Meiyiwa pinned the taller and the other of the two intruders against the wall.
Madlala told the court he was not sure if the second attacker had a gun with him.
