Singer Kelly Khumalo and the late Senzo Meyiwa. Image via Twitter @_mashesha.
Mthokozisi Twala claims he was severely assaulted and forced to admit he killed Senzo Meyiwa
Mthokozisi Twala got emotional in the witness box as he detailed how he was allegedly tortured by police to admit he killed Senzo Meyiwa.
Singer Kelly Khumalo and the late Senzo Meyiwa. Image via Twitter @_mashesha.
Former Bafana Bafana captain Senzo Meyiwa’s close friend, Mthokozisi Twala, has claimed that he was severely assaulted and forced to admit that he killed the late goalkeeper.
Twala is one of the people who were present when Meyiwa was shot dead at his then-girlfriend’s home in Vosloorus, Gauteng, on 26 October 2014.
MTHOKOZISI TWALA CONTINUES WITH HIS TESTIMONY
Twala said usually, police would call him a day or two before they would come to his home to take him for questioning or to do things related to the murder case, but in January 2019, police just showed up and asked him to go to Pretoria for an ID parade.
Twala said he could tell that it was the police because he recognised Colonel Joyce Buthelezi, who was the lead investigator in the case from the beginning.
ALSO READ: Witness reveals lead investigator, Colonel Buthelezi, took him to Meyiwa’s grave
“When we got to Pretoria, Buthelezi took me to a room and went out. Not long after that, two men came in; one grabbed my phone from my hand and asked if I still did not want to admit I killed Senzo. While I was surprised by that, they started assaulting me for an hour, if I’m not mistaken. They kept asking me why I killed Senzo,” an emotional Twala told the court.
Twala had to be given a comfort break to compose himself and continue his testimony.
Twala said the police tortured him from dusk until dawn. It wasn’t long before they had untied and left him that Buthelezi walked in and asked him if he still didn’t want to cooperate.
Following the incident, Twala said Buthelezi drove him to his home in Katlehong. Buthelezi then informed him that he should write a statement saying he was not present when Meyiwa was murdered.
“She told me I should write the statement and send it via WhatsApp because she needed to take it to court in Johannesburg. I wrote the statement detailing exactly what happened and not what she wanted me to say,” he told the court.
WATCH: Teffo delays Meyiwa trial demanding to see Judge Maumela
WITNESS REVEALS HE WAS TAKEN TO SENZO MEYIWA’S GRAVE
As previously reported by The South African, Colonel Buthelezi was the lead investigator in Vosloorus CAS 375/1/2019 which was the first docket in the matter which implicated those who were present when Meyiwa was murdered which are Kelly Khumalo, her sister Zandie, her mother Gladness as well as Tumelo Madlala and Mthokozisi Thwala.
She recommended that the people who were in the house should be arrested and charged with defeating the ends of justice. The top cop also believed that the people who were in the house misled the police about what exactly happened when soccer star was murdered.
WATCH LIVE: Senzo Meyiwa murder trial continues
Meyiwa’s other friend also from Umlazi, Tumelo Madlala also testified that he too was taken by Buthelezi to a police station where he was severely assaulted and forced to write a false statement.
Madlala further alleged that Buthelezi took him to Meyiwa’s grave and a place of safety.
