A witness due to testify in the trial of five suspects accused of Senzo Meyiwa will allege that the footballer was shot by mistake by his girlfriend Kelly Khumalo, the High Court in Pretoria heard on Wednesday.
The Bafana Bafana and Orlando Pirates goalkeeper was gunned down at the home of Khumalo’s mother on 26 October 2014.
Defence advocate Malesela Teffo said the same witness alleges that the revolver fired by Khumalo was brought to the Vosloorus home of Khumalo’s mother by Longwe Twala, who was dating Khumalo’s sister at the time.
This was revealed during the cross-examination of the first state witness, a policeman, Sergeant Thabo Mosia, who handled forensics after the shooting on 26 October 2014. Teffo said to Mosia:
A witness will testify that Meyiwa was allegedly shot by Nonhlanhla Kelly Khumalo by mistake.
The same witness will further testify that the weapon used came with Longwe Twala and the firearm is a revolver.
In response, Sergeant Mosia said he had no comment on the assertions.
The lawyer said the witness would also allege that removing Meyiwa from the crime scene by taking him to the hospital was intended to hide evidence. He said:
All efforts were made to avoid the relatives and the friends or people known to Senzo, in particular, that day as he was supposed to attend a birthday party of his friend.
They were avoiding Pirates players coming to that house. Instead, they deemed it fit for them to go visit Senzo at the hospital.
Khumalo, her sister, their mother Ntombi, Twala and Meyiwa’s friends Mthokozisi Twala and Tumelo Madlala were all at the home when Meyiwa was shot.
The shooting was originally described as a scuffle with robbers.
Five suspects were arrested in October 2020 in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.
The suspects are Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya, Bongani Sandiso Ntanzi, Mthobisi Prince Mncube, Mthokoziseni Maphisa and Sifisokuhle Nkani Ntuli.
They have been charged with murder, attempted murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, possession of firearms without a licence and possession of ammunition.
They have all denied the charges.