‘There were no armed intruders’: Defence lawyer in Senzo Meyiwa trial

Defence lawyer for accused 1 – 2, Advocate Sipho Ramosepele has put it to State witness, Mthokozisi Thwala that there was no robbery and no armed intruders when Senzo Meyiwa was shot.

Ramosepele said this as he continued cross-examining Thwala, Meyiwa’s childhood friend in the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria.

THERE WERE NO ARMED INTRUDERS WHEN SENZO MEYIWA WAS SHOT

Thwala previously told the court that two intruders entered the Khumalo household; the first intruder had a firearm, and the second had a sharp knife-like object.

Longwe was reportedly the first person to get up and run out of the house, leaving the others in the house.

Ramosepele said that Longwe pushed and passed by an armed intruder is at odds with a real-life situation.

He further questioned why Longwe didn’t call for help, as leaving the house during the incident allowed him to sound the alarm and ask for assistance.

WATCH LIVE: Senzo Meyiwa murder trial

When asked if the armed intruder didn’t even tell Longwe to sit down or try to stop him from running out of the house, Thwala said no.

“I put it to you that the apparent act of bravo from Longwe Twala did not happen,” Ramosepele said.

Thwala also testified that he ran out of the house and jumped into a neighbour’s yard and at some point he went back to the Khumalo household.

Ramosepele then told Thwala that the neighbour deposed a statement saying Thwala told him that there was abig probelm in the Khumalo household, he had been attacked and that Meyiwa had been shot. Thwala previously said that as he ran out of the house he did not see whether Meyiwa had already been shot.

Senzo Meyiwa was shot dead on 26 October 2014 at the home of his girlfriend and singer Kelly Khumalo in Vosloorus, Gauteng in an alleged botched robbery.

Five men are on trial for the murder of the soccer star, Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya, Bongani Ntanzi, Mthobisi Prince Mncube, Mthokoziseni Maphisa and Sifisokuhle Nkani Ntuli. They face charges of premeditated murder, attempted murder, robbery with aggravated circumstances, possession of firearms without a licence and possession of ammunition. All the five men pleaded not guilty.

ALSO READ: Kelly Khumalo refused to hand over Senzo’s belongings including his ID

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ARTICLES BY NOKWANDA NCWANE