You weren't sober when Senzo was murdered, defence grills witness

Zandile Mshololo, advocate for Sifisokuhle Nkani Ntuli, accused 5 in the murder trial of footballer Senzo Meyiwa, has questioned the sobriety of first state witness Tumelo Madlala when he identified the intruders that entered the house where the goalkeeper was shot.

Meyiwa was gunned down in October 2014 in what was described as a botched robbery in Vosloorus, east of Johannesburg, in the presence of his then girlfriend Kelly Khumalo, her mother Ntombi, sister Zandi, Zandi’s boyfriend Longwe Twala and Senzo's friends Mthokozisi Twala and Madlala.

Madlala, who was Meyiwa's lifelong friend, is the first witness to take to the stand in the trial against five suspects. He previously testified that they had been drinking and watching soccer before the incident.

“At the time when you recognised the intruder, you were not in your sound and sober senses since you had consumed liquor,” Mshololo said. 

Madlala disputed this, saying though they had been drinking, he was not drunk as he could see what was happening.

“We had drunk alcohol, but not that we were drunk,” said Madlala.

Shown two pictures of alcohol cans in a photo album compiled by Sgt Thabo Mosia, who was the first forensic expert to report to the crime scene, Madlala conceded that the two cans had been recovered by the police. He said they were not a reflection of the cans they had consumed.

“It means the cans you had consumed inside the house had been removed by the time the police arrived,” said Mshololo.

Madlala said: “I cannot dispute that because we left to take Senzo to the hospital, and that did not happen in front of me.”

“At the time when you identified accused number 2, you had consumed alcohol and at that time your mental faculties had been impaired,” Mshololo added. 

Earlier on Tuesday, soon after the proceedings started, an argument ensued between Tshepo Thobane, the attorney for accused 1 to 4, and judge Tshifhiwa Maumela.

Maumela ruled that Thobane move to his next question as he probed Madlala on the time he was picked up to come to court. State advocate George Baloyi objected to the question, stating it would compromise his safety.

Thobane had on many attempts failed to have Madlala establish times to corroborate his version of what happened when he left Durban for Joburg on the day Meyiwa was killed. He also failed to have him deliver a precise timeline of the shooting.

Madlala has consistently told the court that he does not keep track of time when doing things.

Thobane also failed to have Madlala answer on how much Netflix offered him for the pictures of Senzo.

Mshololo questioned what kind of friend Madlala was after he revealed he had received money in exchange for personal pictures of his dead friend.

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