Pretoria - The Senzo Meyiwa murder trial yesterday had to be postponed to today, as the Zulu interpreter did not pitch at court yesterday.
Defence advocate Charles Mnisi was due to start his cross-examination of witness Mthokozisi Thwala.
This is the second week that Thwala, said to be the former soccer star’s best friend, is in the witness stand.
He faced a severe grilling on Monday from defence advocate Sipho Ramosepele, who told Thwala that his version of the events of October 26, 2014, when Meyiwa was shot and killed, simply did not make sense.
Ramosepele especially frowned upon Thwala’s version that Longwe Twala, son of musician Chicco Twala, who was in the house at the time, managed to flee during the incident.
According to Thwala, Longwe jumped up and pushed one of the intruders – the man who carried a gun – out of the way. He said Longwe then ran out of the house.
Ramosepele questioned how this was possible, as according to Thwala’s evidence neither the gunman nor the other intruder, who carried a sharp object such as a knife, according to the witness, ran after him to stop him.
The lawyer said it simply did not make sense that they would have allowed Longwe to leave.
“So you say that the gunman did not even stop Longwe from running out of the house?” the advocate asked Thwala. Thwala answered no. He said that Longwe was also not stopped by the second intruder – a taller man carrying a sharp object.
He was adamant that none of the intruders ran after Longwe.
Ramosepele put it to Thwala that once outside the house, it would have been the perfect opportunity for Longwe to summon help. He questioned the witness as to why this did not happen.
Ramosepele also questioned what he termed Thwala’s “story”, as to how anyone would take the risk to push an armed person out of the way and run past him, out of the house.
Asked whether he saw Longwe when he (Thwala) ran out of the house after shots were fired, Thwala said he did not.
Ramosepele said he would argue that Thwala’s version is fabricated, as he (the advocate) believed that Longwe was in the house when the shot was fired which killed Meyiwa.
The trial continues today.
Pretoria News