The Senzo Meyiwa murder trial took a dramatic turn on Wednesday as music mogul Chicco Twala vehemently denied allegations made against his son, Longwe, by the defence lawyer.
Chicco, known for his fiery personality, addressed the claims head-on, stating that there was no sign of a gunshot injury on Longwe's foot on the night of the soccer star's death in 2014.
This directly contradicted the allegations made earlier in the day by Advocate Thulani Mngomezulu, the lawyer for accused number one, Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya.
Mngomezulu, during the cross-examination of state witness and ballistic expert, Lieutenant Colonel Christian Mangena, revealed his intention to call a witness who would testify that Longwe allegedly shot himself in the foot during a scuffle with Meyiwa.
Longwe Twala identified as suspected shooter in Senzo Meyiwa murder case.
During the cross-examination of state witness Lt-Col Christian Mangena at the Pretoria High Court on Tuesday, Advocate Thulani Mngomezulu, the lawyer for accused number one, Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya,… pic.twitter.com/rqMAcgljKs
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"Who on Earth can shoot himself with a gun and walk normally without limping?" Chicco questioned, his voice laced with frustration.
"My son is human. He’s not Superman. I was personally in hospital with my son and all seven people who were in the house when Senzo was lying on his hospital bed."
Chicco further pointed out that the media and those present at the hospital would have been the first to notice any injury and limping on Longwe's part.
"The whole South Africa saw footage of my son on Netflix and other places walking his ex-girlfriend Zandie [Zandile Gumede-Khumalo] to the car. So why was he not limping if he shot himself?" he asked.
The past two days of court proceedings have seen renewed focus on Longwe's potential involvement in Meyiwa's murder. On Tuesday, Mngomezulu speculated that Longwe was the one who pulled the trigger, killing Meyiwa on the evening of 26 October 2014.
The former Bafana Bafana and Orlando Pirates goalkeeper was shot and killed during an alleged botched robbery at the home of singer Kelly Khumalo's mother, Ntombi, in Vosloorus, east of Johannesburg.
Kelly was Meyiwa's girlfriend at the time, and her sister, R&B singer-songwriter Zandie, was dating Longwe. They were all present in the Vosloorus home when the intruders reportedly entered the house on the fateful evening.
During Mangena's cross-examination, Mngomezulu raised suspicions about the police's decision to send Chicco Twala's firearm for analysis, suggesting that Longwe had fatally wounded Meyiwa using his father's 9mm Parabellum pistol. However, evidence presented in court confirmed that Chicco's 9mm did not match the bullets found at the crime scene.
"What associates Chicco Twala with the testing of the firearm is the presence of Longwe at the crime scene when Senzo was shot. There’s a theory I’m going to prove later that Longwe is the one who fired a shot killing Senzo Meyiwa," Mngomezulu told the court.
According to the state's case, accused number three, Mthobisi Mncube, is alleged to have fired the fatal shot.
"My firearm came back negative after being cleared by the ballistic experts," Chicco commented, adding that "many other firearms" were checked by the police. "The lawyer must stop watching TikTok and follow social media where people claim that I lost my firearm."
When asked whether Longwe would still be taking the stand as previously indicated by Chicco, the music producer said: "I don’t know if Longwe will be testifying or be arrested. I don’t want to be part of his problems. He is an adult and the police would approach him directly if they want him to testify…”
The five accused in the case – Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya, Bongani Sandiso Ntanzi, Mthobisi Mncube, Mthokoziseni Maphisa and Sifisokuhle Nkani Ntuli – face charges of premeditated murder, attempted murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, possession of firearms without a licence and possession of ammunition. They have pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
The trial continues, with the defence lawyer's allegations and Chicco Twala's strong denials adding another layer of complexity to the already intricate case.