Thapelo Lekabe

By Thapelo Lekabe

Senior Digital Journalist


‘No one among us killed Senzo’: Zandile Khumalo sticks to her story in Meyiwa murder trial

Zandile has challenged the defence to provide evidence to support their claims that Meyiwa was shot by those close to him.


Singer and dancer Zandile Khumalo continues to insist Orlando Pirates and Bafana Bafana skipper Senzo Meyiwa was fatally shot by intruders during an alleged botched robbery at her mother’s house in Vosloorus, east of Johannesburg in 2014.

Senzo Meyiwa murder trial

Khumalo, who is the sister of Meyiwa’s then-girlfriend Kelly Khumalo, was on the witness stand at the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on Tuesday. It is the second week of her cross-examination by the defence lawyers of the five men standing trial for the murder of the soccer star.

In her testimony, Khumalo claimed the footballer was gunned down when two alleged intruders, one carrying a gun and the other a knife, entered the house and demanded money and cell phones. She has identified accused number two, Bongani Sandiso Ntanzi, as one of the intruders.

ALSO READ: Senzo Meyiwa murder trial: Zandile Khumalo identifies accused as intruder

However, defence lawyers have poked holes into her testimony and claimed Meyiwa was shot by the occupants of the house.

Advocate Zandile Mshololo, representing one of the accused men, claimed on Monday the occupants of the house could have taken the gun from the alleged intruder and turned it on Meyiwa.

Sticking to her claims

During her re-examination by state advocate George Baloyi, Khumalo said she had no reason to protect her boyfriend at the time Longwe Twala. Nor was there an elaborate plan by the occupants in the house to conceal what really happened on the day Meyiwa was killed.

She challenged the defence to provide evidence to support their allegations.

“No one among us killed Senzo, there were intruders who came into the house,” she said. “And also, if they believe that, I like that they must come with the proof to show that there were no intruders on that day.”

She said she was baffled why defence lawyers would allege her story was a fabrication, as there was a lot of commotion on the night Meyiwa was killed.

“I would like to know which time did we come together to come up with that conspiracy theory… We went to hospital and when I came back to the house, there were police officers.

“So, when did we sit down and come up with this conspiracy theory? The police are very smart and by now they would have been able to pick up if we were lying.”

Khumalo has concluded her evidence and the state has called its next witness, Khaya Ngcatshe, a neighbour of the Khumalos.

The trial continues.

NOW READ: Senzo Meyiwa trial: Judge calls for respect after heated exchange between Zandile, lawyer

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