Witness tells court how he tried to suppress Meyiwa's blood flow from wound

An eyewitness who testified in the Senzo Meyiwa trial has told the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria that after the soccer star was shot in Vosloorus, Ekurhuleni, nine years ago, he put a towel on the bullet wound on his chest to suppress the blood flow.

Mthokozisi Thwala was in the witness stand for a second time on Wednesday in the trial of five men accused of killing the former Orlando Pirates and Bafana Bafana goalkeeper.

He said when he put a towel on Meyiwa, he was was still alive but gasping for air.

His wound was bleeding and oozing onto the towel, he added.

One of the people in the house then suggested they take him to the hospital.

Thwala said he, and Meyiwa’s other friend Tumelo Madlala and a neighbour took Meyiwa to an X6 vehicle.

Inside the vehicle was Thwala, Meyiwa, and his girlfriend singer Kelly Khumalo and her sister Zandi as well as Madlala, he said.

He said while they were on their way to the hospital, “it looked like Senzo wanted to say something and he looked like someone who was breathing through the wound”.

Thwala testified that Khumalo was speeding and that he kept talking to Meyiwa, begging him to stay alive for his children.

But as they were driving to the hospital, Meyiwa’s gasping slowed.

“I held his hand and he held mine for a little while,” he said.

They arrived at the hospital’s emergency area and when Khumalo and the others went to ask for help, Thwala remained in the vehicle with Meyiwa who wasn’t responding.

Meyiwa was certified dead on arrival in hospital.

The trial continues.