A neighbour who claims to have seen three men run down the street and into a park in Vosloorus after the shooting of South African national team goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa, testified on Thursday that Kelly Khumalo and other members broke down emotionally as the Orlando Pirates star was battling for his life.
The neighbour, Nthabiseng Mokete, was the third witness called in to take the stand by the state in the high-profile Meyiwa murder trial at the Gauteng North High Court in Pretoria.
During her testimony, Mokete said she had been sitting in a car outside her home when she heard a gunshot before she caught sight of a man running towards the park. After another gunshot, two other running men had followed him.
Mokete told Judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng that Khumalo was one of the people that cried uncontrollable when it was later confirmed that Meyiwa had lost his life.
“What I remember before she was informed that Senzo had passed on, she was busy touching Senzo’s lower legs and saying to Senzo, ‘Please don’t die’. She would say, what will we say to the Meyiwas’. Then, after she was told that Senzo had died, she blasted into that cry”.
“She was crying bitterly from the time we arrived at the hospital to the time Senzo was put on the stretcher. Senzo was then pushed into the hospital, she was crying bitterly”.
During re-examination, defence advocate Zandile Mshololo questioned whether Mokete knew if she could tell if the Khumalos were truly distraught or they were faking their grief.
“I have never seen crocodile tears; I don’t know what you are talking about,” she said.
