LIVE BLOG | Day 2 of Zandi Khumalo's testimony in the Senzo Meyiwa trial

It's the 2nd day of Zandile Khumalo-Gumede testimony in the trial of five men accused of the murder of Bafana Bafana and Orlando Pirates goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa which is currently underway in the Pretoria high court. 

During yesterday's proceedings, the singer detailed how the intruders entered her mother's Vosloorus home which resulted in the shooting of Meyiwa in 2014.

Today, Khumalo-Gumede is expected to continue telling the court the sequence of events of the fateful day.

10:13 - Khumalo-Gumede resumes testimony explaining her location while hiding in the bathroom between the basin and the bathtub.

Khumalo-Gumede: After the shot, there was a bit of silence. I reached for the door handle to peep around the corner still in a squatting position." 

"As I was peeping like that, I saw Senzo coming from the kitchen...Senzo held his chest whilst bent forward and hid between the couch and the TV stand."

"While I was still in the bathroom, Kelly followed, then my mother and then the intruder with dreadlocks."

"Kelly stood behind Senzo and my mother behind."

The judge asks where the intruder was and Khumalo-Gumede states that her mother took a phone which was charging near the TV stand, then the intruder took the phone from her mother. The intruder elbowed Khumalo-Gumede's mother and she [mother] fell on the couch.

"During that time Kelly was was supporting Senzo with her knees."

10:33 - After the intruder [1st suspect] took the phone, he turned around and walked towards the kitchen." Khumalo-Gumede says when she saw this she closed the bathroom door. 

Khumalo-Gumede states that she opened the bathroom door after an interval of silence and couldn't see the intruder. 

Khumalo-Gumede says she walked out the bathroom she was told that Meyiwa had been shot. 

When asked about her own observations, Khumalo-Gumede said she could see blood on Meyiwa's t-shirt and Meyiwa was having difficulty breathing. 

She says she then remembered that she hid her phone behind a cushion on the couch when the intruders earlier asked for cellphones and money.

"I took my cellphone but couldn't remember a number that she could dial to call for help.

Adv Baloyi askes which number Khumalo-Gumede which number she wanted to call, "1011 but I had a mental block." As frantic as I was, I then left the house to seek help."

Khumalo-Gumede explains that the cellphone that was taken belonged to her sister, Kelly Khumalo. It was a black Samsung S4.

Adv Baloyi asks about Mthokozisi Thwala, Khumalo-Gumede says she does not know as he was no longer in the house, when she stepped out of the bathroom.

Khumalo-Gumede the explains that she went to her mother's friend's house Ma'Phiri [Maggie Phiri] who lives on the across the street.

10:57 - 'When I got to Ma'Phiri's house she was standing outside and so was Ma'Phiri's niece Nthabiseng, who was chatting to a motorist."

Khumalo-Gumede indicates that she screamed, asking Ma'phiri to call the police. "She then asked what happened and I told her [Ma'Phiri] that Senzo's been shot. After explaining Ma'Phiri called Nthabiseng asking her to call the police."

Khumalo-Gumede says she did not receive the help that she was expecting from Ma'Phiri and her daughter Nthabiseng.

"I went back home walked into the yard and that's when I noticed them making efforts to put him [Meyiwa] into the car. It was the neighbour's son Khaya, his father Mr Ncgatshe and there were others however I cannot remember exactly."

11:20 - Court takes short adjournment.

11:39 - Court resumes

Khumalo-Gumede continues to relay how the neighbours were trying to carry Meyiwa into his vehicle, she then opened the front door on the left.

"I cannot recall who was in front or next to me but I walked past the person and got into the vehicle. I then maneuvered myself between the seats to help pull him [Meyiwa] into the car, who was being carried into the backseat."

Khumalo-Gumede: I then realised that his [Meyiwa's] legs were hanging out the vehicle so I pulled his legs in and ended up sitting on the right hand side of the backseat. Kelly [Khumalo] was driving and went into the drivers seat. 

Adv Baloyi asks if there were any other occupants in the vehicle, Khumalo-Gumede inidcates that Madlala and Thwala were also in the car however she doesn't remember how they were seated.

Khumalo-Gumede explains that a small towel was being used to apply pressure of Meyiwa's wound.

11:56 - Adv Baloyi asks if the deceased was bleeding, Khumalo-Gumede says Meyiwa was bleeding albeit not profusely. 

"We all took turns applying pressure on the wound and Kelly was driving at a high speed. When we approached the robots [traffic lights] near Botshilu [hospital], I kept touching his face telling him, Senzo wake up, open your eyes, we are about to arrive at the hospital."

11:58 - Court takes 5-minute comfort break

12:05 - Khumalo-Gumede resumes testimony and explains that Meyiwa's body temperature was dropping. She says the temperatures between the chest area and the lower body were different.

"We passed the robots [traffic lights] and entered the hospital. The security guard asked us to sign in and we told him we can't because this is an emergency. We drove in to the reception area which had the emergency sign. When the car stopped, I opened the door."

Khumalo-Gumede says she walked into the building and found a lady at reception with a few bystanders, then she screamed for help. She says when they approached her she asked them to follow her with a stretcher. When they arrived at the vehicle they [hospital staff] took Meyiwa and placed him on the stretcher and pushed him inside.

"We then followed and we were told we cant go into the room Meyiwa was kept but we should wait at the designated waiting area." 

Khumalo-Gumede: While we were waiting, my mother arrived with Longwe Twala. My mother then asked where did they place him [Meyiwa] and is he alright. I just signaled to where he was placed and my mom walked towards that room.

Khumalo-Gumede says while they were still waiting, they heard her mother lamenting, screaming and crying. She explains that her mother doesn't usually.

Khumalo-Gumede: My mother came to towards us accompanied by either a nurse or a doctor and they told us Senzo is no more. Kelly then requested to  go see him and asked me to accompany him.

12:20 - "We then both went into the room Senzo was kept and Kelly began talking to him. I cannot remember what she said to him but she also kissed him on the forehead and removed his earrings and his watch."

"She [Kelly] spoke to him for a while and then we walked out of the room and met up with the others in the waiting area."

Khumalo-Gumede says Chicco Twala arrived and he was told that Meyiwa is no more.

She says after that a multitude of people arrived including soccer players and their partners as well as Mandisa [Senzo's partner] and her friends. Mandisa and her friends assaulted Kelly, [Khumalo] pulling out her cornrows [braids].

'We then separated them and explained to Mandisa that this is not the time and Senzo didn't like conflict. So let's try to calm down."

Khumalo-Gumede says as she was walking to the car, her phone rang and when she answered, it was Mama Joy [Joy Chauke, a staunch Orlando Pirates supporter at the time.] She she asked what happened and I explained to her what happened...while crying. She [Chauke] hung up the phone.

Khumalo-Gumede: We went into the vehicle and went home. I can't remember if my mother came with us or went in her own vehicle.

Khumalo-Gumede says when they got home they found police tape cordoning off the house so they parked outside.

12:45 - Prompted by the court Khumalo-Gumede describes the intruders explaining that 1st had shoulder-length dreadlocks. the 2nd intruder was tall and had a hoodie on.

Adv Baloyi asks for a further explanation on the sound firearm used by the intruder made. Khumalo-Gumede says she is not knowledgeable about guns.

13:00 - Court adjourns for lunch.

14:30 - Court proceedings resume with Khumalo-Gumede wrapping up her account on what the intruders were wearing.

Adv Baloyi asks Khumalo-Gumede on her observations after entering the house. Khumalo-Gumede states that she saw a phone by the kitchen stove near a charging point. She also says she saw suspect no 1's hat on the floor.

"I turned and looked at the door and saw a bullet hole in the kitchen door."

14:50 - Khumalo-Gumede says while people and officers were coming and going, some officer notified them that they will pick them up the following day to take statements.

"I went to my bedroom, the one Kelly hid in, and packed a small bag because Kelly had suggested that we spend the night at her house. I packed the baby's things [Thingo] and Christian's [Kelly's son] clothes...Thingo is Kelly and Senzo's daughter."

Adv Baloyi asks Khumalo-Gumede the whereabouts of the children during the incident. Khumalo-Gumede says Christian was moving from one point to another. When I observed him, I could tell he was confused because what was happening in the house was unusual. 

Adv Baloyi asks if Khumalo-Gumede sustained any injuries from the splinters that hit her leg when the bullet hit the floor. Khumalo-Gumede says yes and shows the court the scars on her ankle.

When asked about the time of the attack, Khumalo-Gumede says it was around 7pm and 8pm.

Khumalo-Gumede concedes that she shared a 6-pack of alcohol with her sister. Adv Baloyi asks how many cans Khumalo-Gumede had. She responds, "Not more than 3."

When questioned on the duration of her relationship with Twala, "It wasn't a long time. My estimation is between 3 and four months." 

15:12 - Adv Baloyi asks if Khumalo-Gumede knows what happened to Mthokozisi Thwala after the  hospital. She responds that Thwala stayed behind with Mandisa.

15:15 - Court adjourned for the day. Proceedings will resume on June 12.