“I DON'T take this matter as a joke."
This was said by the late Senzo Meyiwa's best friend, Mthokozisi Thwala, during cross-examination by Advocate Zithulele Nxumalo representing accused number four in the North Gauteng High Court on Thursday, 11 May.
This comes after Nxumalo asked Mthokozisi to take the matter seriously because it deals with the murder of his best friend.
Mthokozisi is on the witness stand in court, where he is being cross-examined by the lawyers of the five men accused of killing the soccer star during an alleged botched robbery in October 2014.
Advocate Nxumalo pulled a statement from 14 July 2015 and asked if this was the statement that Mthokozisi made that had corrections.
The state witness responded that he made several statements, and further made a reference to Tumelo Madlala's testimony on how the firearm looked.
Although he told the court that he did not know what type it was, in reference to his statement that he made with one of the officers, he said it was an old revolver.
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Nxumalo asked him how he knew what Madlala said.
“I saw it on the news,” said Mthokozisi.
When asked when, he responded by saying he didn't remember.
The people in the gallery chuckled from his response.
Nxumalo reprimanded Mthokozisi, saying: “This is not a joke. Your friend died. You see the gallery is laughing.
“Firstly, I will never take Senzo’s death as a joke. You don’t know the hardship I have been through in the last nine years,” said Mthokozisi.
Nxumalo further emphasised on the inconsistency between Madlala and Mthokozisi's evidence.
He also went on to read out a statement made by singer Kelly Khumalo about what she saw during the tussles that happened in the house on that fateful day.
Nxumalo said Khumalo said when the gun shot went off, her sister Zandie Khumalo thought she was shot on the leg.
“She further said in the statement, she then saw Senzo running towards her trying to hold her. He fell into her arms and then saw blood on her hands.
“She said she rolled him over and saw a lot of blood and Senzo fell on the couch, and she then began to scream. She said the gunman was still in the house and Khumalo’s son was standing next to the gunman,” Nxumalo said.
He further asked Mthokozisi if he would agree with him that, Khumalo’s statement contradicted what he and Madlala told the court.
Mthokozisi responded that he agreed with him because he and Madlala were talking about the scuffle in the kitchen.
Nxumalo asked Mthokozisi if he knew the person who shot Meyiwa was, and was he going to tell the court, of which he responded by saying he would.
“I take it you wouldn’t let the killers of your best friend walk scot free.
“Further, you wouldn’t like wrongful people being convicted for a crime they didn’t do,” said Nxumalo.
He concluded his cross-examination, and the matter has been adjourned overnight.
