Pretoria - The trial of former Bafana Bafana captain, Senzo Meyiwa, was postponed after the lawyer of two accused in the matter complained of not feeling well.
Sipho Ramosepele was cross-examining Meyiwa's friend, Mthokozisi Thwala when he notified the judge on Friday that he was unwell.
“I would like to request the court that the matter be adjourned until Monday, then I’ll be fit and proper to come and continue,” he said.
Thwala was on his fourth day on the stand giving testimony on the goalkeeper’s death.
He was one of the people in the house when the soccer star was shot dead.
Meyiwa, at the time of his death, was involved in a romantic relationship with singer Kelly Khumalo, and they have a daughter.
He was killed while visiting Khumalo’s home in Vosloorus, south-east of Johannesburg.
Bongani Ntanzi, Sifisokuhle Ntuli, Muzikawukhulelwa Sthemba Sibiya, Mthobisi Prince Ncube and Mthokoziseni Ziphozonke Maphisa have been charged with the October 26, 2014 murder.
The state alleges the footballer was killed in a botched house robbery.
On Wednesday, Thwala sobbed as he went into detail about how he was allegedly beaten and tortured to confess to the murder of Meyiwa.
He said in 2019, officers came to his house unannounced and told him they had made some arrests and they needed him to identify the arrested suspects.
He said he drove with the officers to Johannesburg, where he was allegedly tortured the whole night until morning by two officers.
Upon his return to KwaZulu-Natal, he opened a case against the police officers at the Bhekithemba police station in Umlazi.
However, he said the case was moved from one investigator to another until the matter was transferred to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid), who only visited him once and had he never heard from them since.
In the house that day were Meyiwa, Kelly and her younger sister, Zandile, their mother Ntombi Khumalo (MaKhumalo), Longwe Twala, Meyiwa’s friends Thwala and Tumelo Madlala, Kelly’s then 4-year-old son, Christian, and Thingo, her daughter with Meyiwa.
The trial continues on Monday.
IOL