'Three people ran from Khumalo home after shots were fired'

A second neighbour of the Khumalos, who took to the stand in the high court in Pretoria on Wednesday, has partially corroborated the evidence of Zandile Khumalo that three gunshots went off on the night football star Senzo Meyiwa was killed.

Meyiwa was shot dead in Vosloorus, Ekurhuleni, in October 2014 in what Zandile had described as a botched robbery. 

Nthabiseng Mokete took the court on an emotional journey as she described seeing three people run up the street, past a vehicle she and another occupant had been sitting in. She told how she followed the Khumalos to hospital where Meyiwa was declared dead after numerous attempts to resuscitate him.

She told the court how she had lent her phone to singer Kelly Khumalo, who made a call to Chicco Twala, another music legend.

Twala's son Longwe was among those in the house when the alleged intruders barged in, but Longwe reportedly bolted out the house, leaving his then girlfriend Zandile, Meyiwa, Kelly, the women's mother Ntombi Khumalo and two of Meyiwa's friends – Mthokozisi Thwala and Tumelo Madlala – in the house.

It was Zandile's version that Meyiwa was shot after a scuffle with one of the armed intruders. 

Mokete told the court of the chaos that night. Gunshots, people running down the streets, crying, wailing, chaotic scenes at the hospital and “an army of police” were among the memories she had of the day.

She spent most of her time on the stand with her eyes closed as if trying to gather her thoughts and recollect the events of October 26 2014 – about nine years ago.

“I remember the doctor saying we tried all we can but he is no more,” Mokete said.

Zandile, who wrapped up her testimony on Tuesday, testified that three gunshots went off that night. She said she did not see Meyiwa being shot as she was hiding from the intruders. Meyiwa sustained a chest wound.

Mokete told the court that she was living at her sister Maggy Phiri's place. On that night, she had been sitting with a friend in a car parked outside their yard when she heard a loud noise which she said sounded like a gunshot.

“[It was] a bang sound,” she said.

Mokete said she was sitting at the back, behind the diver's seat. She said she then saw a male person running past at about 8pm.

As she was debating with her friend about whether they had indeed heard a gunshot, another gunshot went off.

“The second gunshot sounded closer to the vehicle. After that, two people went past, running in the same direction as the first person,” she said.

She said when her friend opened the car door to check what was happening, there was a third gunshot-like sound.