Senzo Meyiwa’s friend tells court he was uncomfortable going to Kelly Khumalo’s house

Senzo Meyiwa’s long-time friend, Mthokozisi Thwala, on Wednesday testified in the High Court in Pretoria that he was uncomfortable going to Kelly Khumalo’s home the day the soccer star was killed in an alleged botched robbery.

Thwala was testifying about circumstances linked to Meyiwa’s fatal shooting at his singer girlfriend Khumalo’s home in Vosloorus.

Thwala told the court that he was uncomfortable going to the Khumalo homestead because he was also friends with Meyiwa’s wife, Mandisa Mkhize.

State prosecutor advocate George Baloyi asked Thwala why he felt uncomfortable going to the Khumalo house.

He replied, saying: “I was also Mandisa’s friend, so it didn’t feel right for me to go to Senzo’s girlfriend’s place whereas I know his wife”.

Thwala explained that even though he was reluctant, he ended up going to the Khumalo homestead after Meyiwa convinced him that this was a chance for him to meet his daughter, a child he had with Kelly.

Meyiwa was gunned down at the Khumalo’s home in a suspected robbery, on October 26, 2014.

The people who were in the house on the day Meyiwa was murdered, were Khumalo and her younger sister, Zandile, their mother Ntombi Khumalo (MaKhumalo), Longwe Twala, Meyiwa’s friends, Mthokozisi Thwala and Tumelo Madlala, Kelly’s then four-year-old son, Christian, and Thingo, her daughter with Meyiwa.

Last week Friday, Colonel Lambertus Steyn testified that there was evidence of cellphone contact between some of the accused and Kelly Khumalo.

The five murder accused are:

– Accused 1, Muzikawukhulelwa Sthemba Sibiya,

– Accused 2, Bongani Sandiso Ntanzi,

– Accused 3, Mthobisi Mncube,

– Accused 4, Mthokoziseni Ziphozonke Maphisa, and,

– Accused 5, Fisokuhle Nkani Ntuli.

Steyn said accused number five, Ntuli, had made cellphone contact with Meyiwa’s girlfriend twice before the fatal shooting.

Ntuli had contacted Kelly twice, in August 2014, and in October 2014, about a fortnight before the goalkeeper was murdered.

Steyn also revealed that Ntuli’s number was saved as “mfo kaKhumalo” (loosely translated to he of the Khumalo’s) on accused number three, Mncube’s phone.

Steyn has also found pictures of accused number three, Mncube, which showed he had dreadlocks a day before and on the day of Meyiwa’s murder.

Mncube’s pictures in dreadlocks were significant as witnesses testified that one of the intruders had dreadlocks when Meyiwa was shot.

Thwala will continue with his testimony.