The Senzo Meyiwa murder trial took a dramatic turn this week with a bombshell revelation that has shaken the courtroom and the nation at large.
Advocate Thulani Mngomezulu, the lawyer for accused number one, Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya, has alleged that Longwe Twala, son of renowned music producer Sello "Chicco" Twala, shot and killed the former Bafana Bafana captain on the night of 26 October 2014.
Mngomezulu made the startling claim during the cross-examination of state witness and ballistic expert Lieutenant-Colonel Christian Mangena at the Pretoria High Court on Tuesday. This revelation came over a year after Mangena's initial testimony, adding a new layer of intrigue to the already complex case.
According to Mngomezulu, Longwe fatally wounded Meyiwa using a .38 special revolver belonging to his father. Mangena, however, stated that the firearm brought for ballistic testing was a 9mm parabellum semi-automatic pistol, which was found not to be the weapon used in the murder.
The courtroom buzzed with anticipation as Mngomezulu pressed Mangena about the firearm licence and its connection to the case. Mangena confirmed receiving two sealed evidence bags containing a 9mm parabellum semi-automatic pistol, two magazines, a firearm licence, a black holster, and six 9mm parabellum cartridges. However, he claimed to be unaware of the firearm's owner.
Mngomezulu pressed further, questioning why the firearm licence was presented for testing. Was it to prove the firearm's legality, legitimacy, or ownership? Or was it to establish its connection to the crime? Mangena responded that the firearm was submitted for comparison with the bullet found at the crime scene, not to determine ownership.
The tension in the courtroom escalated as Mngomezulu, with a determined tone, insisted on knowing the firearm's owner. He pointed out that the firearm licence was present, and he wanted to identify the individual who held it.
Mangena, however, maintained his stance, stating that he did not examine the licence and was not concerned with the firearm's owner. His focus, he reiterated, was on comparing the firearm with the bullet recovered from the crime scene.
A brief discussion between Mngomezulu and state prosecutor Advocate George Baloyi revealed that the firearm in question belonged to Chicco Twala. Mngomezulu, armed with this information, asserted that the licence belonged to Chicco Twala, but Mangena remained steadfast in his claim of ignorance about the firearm's ownership.
The courtroom was gripped by a palpable sense of disbelief as Mngomezulu, with a hint of frustration, questioned why Chicco's firearm was brought for testing when he was not present at the crime scene. He pointed out that the firearm legally belonged to Chicco Twala, adding that he would reserve further questions about the firearm for Brigadier Bongani Gininda, the lead investigator.
Mangena, however, stuck to his narrative, reiterating that he did not know who the firearm belonged to.
Mngomezulu, undeterred, then made a connection between Chicco Twala and the firearm testing through Longwe's presence at the crime scene. He stated that Longwe was present when Senzo Meyiwa was shot and killed at the home of his then-girlfriend, singer Kelly Khumalo, in Vosloorus, east of Johannesburg.
He further suggested a theory, which he promised to prove later, that Longwe was the one who fired the shot that killed Senzo Meyiwa. Mngomezulu's statement was met with stunned silence from the courtroom.
Mangena, however, refused to comment on the theory, stating that he received other firearms for testing, all of which tested negative against the bullet found at the scene.
Mngomezulu, however, pressed on, asserting that the firearm Longwe used to shoot Senzo was a .38 special revolver and not a 9mm. Mangena, however, countered that there was no evidence of a .38 special revolver or any revolver at the crime scene. The only evidence, he reiterated, was a 9mm bullet recovered from the scene.
Mangena had previously testified in August last year that the gun found on accused number three, Mthobisi Prince Mncube, when he was arrested in 2015 for a separate matter, was the same one that killed Meyiwa.
