Zandie Khumalo appeared as the first witness in the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial held at the Pretoria High Court on Tuesday. In her testimony, delivered with great emotion, she provided a chilling account of the tragic night that resulted in the death of the renowned goalkeeper.
Zandie, who had a close connection to Meyiwa through her sister Kelly Khumalo, shared a detailed narrative of the events leading up to the fateful incident that occurred on October 26, 2014. She recounted the sequence of events before and during the horrifying ordeal, offering valuable insight into the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
On the fateful day, Zandie explained that she, Meyiwa, Kelly, and others were planning to attend a party hosted by Roy Mahamutsa. They all travelled in the same vehicle, with the initial plan to drop Meyiwa off at the party. However, upon their arrival, they discovered that the party had not yet started.
After their performance at Dorothy Nyembe, the group made the collective decision to leave some time between 2 and 3pm, as recounted by Zandie. They then travelled to Mthokozisi Twala’s house in Katlehong, where they were joined by Tumelo Madlala. Together, they continued their journey to the Khumalo household in Vosloorus, intending to have drinks at a local tavern.
Zandie clarified that upon their arrival at the Khumalo residence, the group opted to use the money she had to purchase beverages. They entered the tavern, enjoyed their drinks, and later returned home.
“When we arrived at the tavern, I had R400, and we used that to buy drinks. Mthokozisi and I and we went into the tavern and then we all went back home. When we got home my mother was there and she dished up for us,” Zandie said.
As the evening unfolded, Zandie testified that she engaged in text messaging with her boyfriend, Longwe Twala, while also assisting in serving drinks to the visitors. She explained that the group gathered around the television, watching a soccer match, when Twala sent her a text message indicating his arrival outside the house.
“Longwe then sent me an SMS saying he was outside. It was about 6pm before 7pm I asked my mother whether there was still food. She said yes but soup would be needed.
“Then Kelly took Senzo with her to buy soup. Longwe had arrived and I went outside.”
After their return, Longwe started eating, and the atmosphere inside the house remained cheerful. However, the situation took a sudden and alarming turn when two armed intruders forcefully entered the residence, as described by Zandie in her testimony.
“When I took the dish that Longwe was using, Kelly came in and said Senzo wanted to leave. Then my mother said he must come in and say goodbye properly.
“Where I was seated you can see when the door in the kitchen opens and closes.
“Then I saw the kitchen door opening. I then peeped to see who it was as a person did not knock. I saw male individuals. The one who came in first was short. The lights were on in house. The second person stood near the stove.
“The first intruder had a gun and demanded money and cellphones,” she said.
Amidst the ensuing chaos, Kelly sought safety in Zandie’s bedroom, while one of the intruders attempted to gain entry by tampering with the bedroom door. Zandie recounted that in a courageous act, Twala confronted the intruders and pushed one of them, standing up against the threat they posed.
“After Kelly went into the room, the second man standing in the kitchen followed Kelly and tried to open the bedroom door. Then Longwe stood up and pushed the one with the dreadlocks.
“Longwe ran out of the kitchen door. I then hid my phone behind the cushion where I was seated. Then we all stood up and pushed both of them to the kitchen,” she explained further.
The court heard that a fierce struggle unfolded in the kitchen, with Khumalo and the rest of the group desperately trying to push the intruders away. Zandie vividly remembered spotting Tumelo Madlala’s crutch and attempting to grab it as a makeshift weapon, but she could not reach it during the chaos. She recounted that Madlala eventually managed to grabthe crutch and began striking one of the intruders in an effort to defend themselves.
She added: “As the fight was on, I also saw Kelly there, she was now out of the bedroom. Then I heard a firearm go off from the one with dreadlocks. Something hit the floor, it hit me on my foot. I also saw a sparks. I ran to the bathroom and Tumelo ran to the bedroom.
“In the bathroom I remembered there is a window and someone could shoot me, so I went down.”
During the altercation, Zandie recalled noticing Meyiwa hiding between the couch and the TV stand, along with Kelly and their mother, as they sought safety. The dreadlocked intruder pursued them into the dining room, where he struck Kelly, causing her cellphone to drop to the floor.
It was at this moment that Zandie made the decision to join her mother, Kelly, and Meyiwa in the dining room. In a heart-wrenching account, she testified that she witnessed Meyiwa bleeding from a chest wound. Overwhelmed with panic, Khumalo attempted to call emergency services but struggled to dial 10111. With a sense of urgency, she said she fled to a nearby house belonging to her mother’s friend, desperately seeking assistance.
Realising the gravity of Meyiwa’s condition, Zandie quickly returned to her own home, where she witnessed Khaya and Bulelani carrying Meyiwa to the car, fully aware of the urgency and seriousness of the situation.
“I then saw Nthabiseng who is related to MaPhiri. I went straight to the house. I saw MaPhiri outside and asked her to call police and ambulance as Senzo had been shot and there were intruders.
“Both Nthabiseng and MaPhiri were panicking. I went back home and saw Khaya and Bulelani carrying Senzo into the car. I then saw they were struggling I managed to get to the back seat and pulled Senzo in. He was in the middle of the backseat,” the court heard.
“There was a towel, I do not know who brought it, but it was used to put pressure on the wound. Then Kelly drove the car very fast.”
The trial continues on Wednesday.
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