Defence casts doubt on gunshot that killed Meyiwa

Adv Zandile Mshololo continued to poke holes into Tumelo Madlala’s testimony that intruders entered the house on the night Senzo Meyiwa was killed, asking why the bullet that went through his body didn’t strike the intruder behind him.

During his cross-examination on Thursday at the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria, Madlala said Meyiwa was fighting with the second intruder in the kitchen and the assailant was standing by the door behind Meyiwa during the scuffle.

Mshololo, who is representing accused number five, Sifisokuhle Nkani Ntuli, said according to the doctor that performed the postmortem on Meyiwa, the bullet that killed him entered his body through the chest and exited at the back.

“The entry wound was in front of the chest. It means the person who fired the shot was standing in front of the deceased and not at the back. The bullet exited at the back. Why didn’t the bullet hit the intruder who was standing behind the deceased?’’ asked Mshololo.

Madlala said he does not know why the intruder was not shot. ''I do not know who shot him. When I heard a gunshot, I ran into the bedroom. I do not know where the shot came from,’’ said Madlala.

Mshololo also asked about the presence of Longwe Twala when the others were fighting with the intruders in the house.

Madlala said while he and Meyiwa were battling with the second intruder in the kitchen, Kelly Khumalo, her mother Gladness and sister Zandi were fighting with the other intruder who had a gun.

He said Twala was not in the house during this time.

“Longwe ran out of the house after pushing the first intruder. [After the incident] he said he ran outside to look for back-up. I did not see any back-up that came with him that night. When we were also carrying Senzo to the car, Longwe was not around,’’ said Madlala.

According to the state, Meyiwa was shot once in the chest while in a standing position and the bullet went through his chest, and exited his back, hitting the back of the door behind him. The cause of death was determined as a bullet which hit his heart and lung.

Madlala was one of the people who were present when Meyiwa was shot and killed in his girlfriend Khumalo’s family house in Vosloorus on the East Rand on October 26 2014.

Other people who were in the house during the fatal incident were Khumalo, her two children, Zandi, Gladness, Twala and Meyiwa’s close friend Mthokozisi Twala.

The accused — Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya, Bongani Sandiso Ntanzi, Mthobisi Prince Mncube, Mthokoziseni Maphisa and Ntuli — face charges of premeditated murder, attempted murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, possession of firearms without a licence and possession of ammunition.

They have pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

kokam@sowetan.co.za