By: Natasha Archary
“Senzo Meyiwa was already dead before he was rushed to hospital in Kelly Khumalo’s car,” this was the statement of one of the Khumalo’s neighbours on Wednesday, 26 July.
Nthabiseng Mokete, said she arrived at the Khumalo house to find the former Bafana Bafana and Orlando Pirates footballer was already dead.
Mokete said the footballer showed no signs of life in his girlfriend at the time, Kelly Khumalo’s car but was still taken to Botshelong Hospital for treatment.
As the second neighbour to testify in the murder trial of the slain footballer, Mokete said she also witnessed three people fleeing from the Khumalo house, after Meyiwa was shot.
Her version of events from the night Senzo was shot and killed, in what the state is calling a botched home invasion, is a contrast to what Kelly’s younger sister Zandie Khumalo relayed to the North Gauteng High Court last week.
Zandie said she, along with Tumelo Madlala, Mthokozisi Twala and Kelly were in the car, rushing to get Senzo to the hospital.
Kelly’s younger sister said she kept a towel pressed against Senzo’s chest and she kept telling him they were almost at the hospital.
“I noticed his eyes were wide open and he was looking up, I kept touching his face saying, ‘Senzo, Senzo, stay with us, we are almost at the hospital.’
Then I lifted his t-shirt and could feel he was now cold in the stomach.
When we got to the hospital, I rushed to the emergency area and asked for help.
They came with a stretcher and took him out of the car and put him on the stretcher, you could see he couldn’t move or anything.”
Zandie Khumalo claimed Senzo was still alive in the car on their way to hospital
Zandie’s testimony was picked apart in court during her cross examination, which caused her to make an outburst in response to defence attorney, Advocate Zithulele Nxumalo.
When Nxumalo suggested that one of the occupants inside the Khumalo’s family home had pulled the trigger that shot Meyiwa, Zandie exploded, “You can put it to me 50 times until you foam at the mouth if that helps you sleep at night, what I am saying is that there were intruders.”
Five men are accused of murdering Meyiwa: Bongani Ntanzi, Mthobisi Prince Mncube, Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya, Fisokuhle Nkani Ntuli and Mthokoziseni Maphisa.
All five men have pleaded not guilty. The trial continues.
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