Pretoria - State witness Tumelo Madlala, the slain footballer’s best friend, told the court that top cop Colonel Joyce Buthelezi who was also handling the Senzo Meyiwa case, fabricated lies and she is responsible for the confusion surrounding the two dockets in the case.
“She did a lot of things that were not right, assaulting people and lying ... I respected her and took her like my mom, I even called her mum, not knowing that she was doing her own thing on the side. That woman did a lot.
“We now have two dockets because of Buthelezi and her lies, I won’t hide it, that person is a liar,” Madlala said.
Docket 375, which was under investigation by Buthelezi and Warrant Officer Meshack Makhubo was filed in 2019. It called for the people in the house to be charged.
The second docket contains a recommendation by the State to have Kelly Khumalo, Chicco Twala’s son, Longwe, Kelly’s mother Gladness Khumalo, Kelly’s sister Zandi Khumalo, Senzo’s childhood friend Tumelo Madlala, Mthokozisi Thwala and Maggie Phiri, who is said to have cleaned the crime scene before the police officers arrived, charged.
During his testimony on Thursday, Madlala revealed the information during cross-examination by advocate Zandile Mshololo who is representing Ntuli, the fifth accused in the Meyiwa murder trial.
Picking up where Mshololo left, State prosecutor advocate George Baloyi asked Madlala about the statement which he made to Hlophe and who was pushing the narrative behind the statement.
“I forgot something, this same Buthelezi told me that she will tell Hlophe to shoot me because I don’t want to talk,” Madlala replied.
Madlala added that the statements which were made to Mr Hlophe, who was part of the team that took statements from witnesses, were done under Buthelezi’s directive.
“She said a lot of things which are not even in the case. I don’t know, maybe she wanted a promotion ... because she has confused a lot of people,” he said.
The second docket which Madlala was referring to, was opened five years after Meyiwa’s murder in 2014.
It was exposed by disbarred advocate Malesela Teffo, a former legal representative of the men accused of Meyiwa’s murder.
The indictment of the second docket cites the suspects in the murder of Meyiwa as Madlala, Longwe Twala, Kelly Khumalo, Gladness Khumalo, Zandi Khumalo, Mthokozisi Twala and Phiri.
Buthelezi withdrew from the Meyiwa case after the committee overseeing the probe allegedly rejected one of her key recommendations.
This is after she had raised concerns about a police cover-up in the matter.
She had suggested that all the people who were in the house when Meyiwa was murdered be arrested and charged with perjury or for defeating the ends of justice.
Madlala will continue with his testimony on Friday, and is expected to be done by lunch.
A new witness will be called next week.
Meyiwa was killed on October 26, 2014, while in the company of his girlfriend and the mother of his child, Kelly Khumalo.
In the house that day were Meyiwa, Kelly Khumalo and her younger sister, Zandile, their mother Ntombi Khumalo, Longwe Twala, Meyiwa’s friends Mthokozisi Thwala and Madlala, Kelly’s then 4-year-old son, Christian, and Thingo, her daughter with Meyiwa.
Five men, Bongani Sandiso Ntanzi, Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya, Mthobisi Mncube, Mthokoziseni Maphisa and Sifokuhle Ntuli, are facing charges of murder, attempted murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, possession of an unlicensed firearm as well as possession of ammunition.
All of the five accused have pleaded not guilty.
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