Zandie Khumalo testifies as first witness in retrial of Senzo Meyiwa murder case

Zandie Khumalo, the sister of singer Kelly Khumalo, has taken the stand as the state’s first witness in the restarted trial of the five men accused of murdering former Bafana Bafana captain Senzo Meyiwa.

Senzo Meyiwa murder trial

Zandie was the last witness to testify in the protracted trial before it had to start afresh following the suspension of Judge Tshifhiwa Maumela last month for failing to deliver reserved judgments on time.

Retired Judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng has been appointed as the new presiding judge over the matter before the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria.

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Zandie Khumalo was present inside the Khumalo residence in Vosloorus, east of Johannesburg, on the tragic night of 26 October 2014, when Meyiwa was fatally shot during an alleged robbery.

Other people in the house during the incident included – among others – Meyiwa’s then-lover, Kelly, his close friend Mthokozisi Thwala, and Zandie’s boyfriend at the time, Longwe Twala.

On Tuesday, Zandie provided her testimony under the guidance of state prosecutor Advocate George Baloyi, recounting the events when the soccer star lost his life. The court has prohibited the broadcast of witness visuals but allows for audio recording.

Witnesses to be called to testify

Advocate Baloyi revealed that all witnesses present in the Khumalo household at the time of Meyiwa’s murder, including some of their neighbours, will be summoned to testify and present their version of events.

“They will give their evidence with the aid of photo albums depicting the scene where the incident occurred, in order to transport the court to the actual location.

“The state will also call the two photographers at a later stage. And secondly, we will present ballistic evidence, forensic field officers, and police officers who responded to the scene,” stated Baloyi.

Cell phone mapping

Baloyi further added that an analyst will be summoned to conduct cell phone mapping, highlighting the communication between the accused.

“We will also call private persons to whom certain utterances were made by some of the accused. And lastly, there will be a trial within a trial to determine the admissibility of certain statements made by some of the accused persons,” he explained.

Muzikawukhulelwa Sthemba Sibiya, Bongani Sandiso Ntanzi, Mthobisi Prince Ncube, Mthokoziseni Ziphozonke Maphisa and Sifisokuhle Ntuli face a range of charges, including premeditated murder and attempted murder in connection with Meyiwa’s killing.

The accused maintained their plea of not guilty, as they did during previous trial proceedings.

The trial continues.

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