State’s seventh witness Tumelo Madlala is expected to take the stand for cross-examination at the Pretoria High Court on Tuesday.
Madlala, who is Senzo Meyiwa’s childhood friend, was at the house when Meyiwa was gunned down by alleged intruders at the Khumalo home on October 26 2014 in Vosloorus.
On Monday, Madlala was engulfed with emotions as he relived the moment his friend’s life was lost during an alleged intrusion.
He further outlined the details of events days after the shooting.
Chicco Twala offered Kelly a holiday overseas
According to Madlala’s testimony, musician Sello “Chicco” Twala allegedly extended an invitation to pay for Kelly Khumalo’s overseas vacation shortly after Meyiwa’s murder.
Madlala, who spent a couple of days at Kelly’s house in Mulberton, southern Johannesburg said Twala engaged in a conversation with the musician and offered to sponsor a vacation abroad for Khumalo.
However, Madlala stated that Kelly turned down the offer due to her responsibilities as a mother, saying she could not undertake the trip.
“I heard him asking Kelly if she does not want to go on holiday overseas,” he told the court.
Mandlazi misquoted people in his book
Madlala also accused author Soweto Mandlanzi of providing readers with false information in his book about Meyiwa.
The court learned that Madlala and Mthokozisi Thwala filed a case against Mandlazi shortly after reading the book. Madlala clarified that he was quoted out of context.
Madlala shared the same feelings as Meyiwa’s other friend, Thwala, who recently testified in court that he was also misquoted in the book.
However, unlike Madlala, Thwala declined an invitation to participate in a Netflix documentary about the late soccer star, citing a negative prior experience with the media.
At first, Thwala had agreed to contribute to the book after being encouraged by Meyiwa’s father to join the project.
Unfortunately, the book was ultimately published with altered statements and crucial details omitted, despite Thwala’s attempts to make corrections.
Frustrated by this misrepresentation, Thwala pursued legal action against those involved in the book’s publication.
This distressing encounter made him wary and hesitant about his involvement in a Netflix documentary, even as the producers persistently requested his participation.
“I refused to be part of the documentary. I had a bad experience before with the media,” he said.
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