By: Natasha Archary

Mthokozisi Thwala claims he was tortured by cops to confess to killing his friend, Senzo Meyiwa.
Thwala who has taken to the witness stand in the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial, shared how he was beaten to a pulp and tortured by police officers, 4-years after Meyiwa was gunned down in Vosloorus.
The former Bafana Bafana and Orlando Pirates footballer was gunned down at the family home of his girlfriend, Kelly Khumalo on 26 October, in what the State is calling a botched home invasion.
According to Thwala, he was picked up from his home in Durban in 2019, under the pretense that he was attending an identity parade of suspects in Pretoria.
Instead, he was assaulted and suffocated for hours by two unknown men who wanted him to admit to killing Meyiwa, who was Thwala’s close friend.
“I was picked up by then-Colonel Joyce Buthelezi and another officer by the name of Makhubo.
Blindfolded, they tied my legs together and placed my private part on top of a mat. They knew that I would urinate on myself because that is what I did.
One of them took out a big rope that’s normally used to tie around a cow when it’s going to be slaughtered. I couldn’t breathe, I thought I was going to die there.
I just wanted to get out of that place, get to a safe place, with people I know where I would feel safe.
If these people could assault me like this, wanting me to admit to a crime that I know nothing about, then they are capable of killing me.”
Mthokozisi Thwala says he was tortured to admit he killed Senzo Meyiwa
Thwala corroborated Kelly’s younger sister, Zandie’s version of events, that the Bafana Bafana captain was killed when a scuffle broke out with two of the five men accused of entering the Khumalos’ home in an apparent robbery.
Mthokozisi Thwala said he knew the footballer was dying because when he got to him, Senzo Meyiwa was laying on the floor, gasping for breath.
Thwala said Meyiwa was taken to a surgery room at Botshelong Hospital, and after about 5 to 10-minutes the doctor confirmed that the footballer had died.
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