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Zandile Lorraine Khumalo, one of the persons in the house when Bafana Bafana star goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa was murdered in October 2014, has began testifying before the Pretoria High Court.
Zandile, a musician, is the sister of Kelly Khumalo, a musician and actor who was dating Meyiwa when he was killed.
State advocate George Baloyi, the prosecution, led Zandile in giving evidence. He wanted her to tell the court about the soccer star’s friendship with the diva.
“Did they have a relationship, a love relationship?” Baloyi asked.
Zandile responded: “They had a beautiful relationship. They loved each other to an extent where they would follow each other everywhere.”
She said their relationship started around 2012 or 2013.
Meyiwa was killed on October 26, 2014, while in the company of his girlfriend and the mother of his child, Khumalo, in Vosloorus.
In the house that day were Meyiwa; Kelly; her younger sister, Zandile; their mother, Ntombi Khumalo (MaKhumalo); Longwe Twala; Meyiwa’s friends Mthokozisi Thwala and Tumelo Madlala’ Kelly’s then four-year-old son, Christian; and Thingo, her daughter with Meyiwa.
Zandile said that at the time of his death, Meyiwa was living with Kelly in Mulbarton.
Earlier on Thursday, the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria granted permission for broadcast media outlets to attend and do an audio broadcast of Zandile’s testimony.
She had made an application against the media broadcast on Monday.
The court ruled that, as in the case of the previous witnesses, visual images of the witness should not be broadcast.
“The court finds that where a broadcast of visual images of her testimony may bring unintended, adverse consequences to bear upon her, there is no evidence proving that an audio broadcast of her evidence may do the same,” Judge Tshifhiwa Maumela ruled in court.
“Taking all prevailing circumstances into consideration, the court finds that witness number one did not advance sufficient reasons to justify an order restricting both visual and audio broadcast of her evidence.
“At the same time, there is no reason to subject witness number one (Zandile) to an atmosphere during the course of her testimony, which compares worse to that which prevailed when the last two witnesses three and four for the State gave evidence,” Maumela said.
The previous two witnesses are Meyiwa’s friends Tumelo Madlala and Mthokozisi Twala.
“In the result, the court makes the following order: live broadcast of the image of the witness, that is witness number one, will not be permitted. Members of the electronic media are permitted to live broadcast the testimony of witness number one by means of an audio. The prohibition of images of witness number one while she testifies shall remain in place until the finalisation of this case,” the judge ruled.
Five males, Bongani Sandiso Ntanzi, Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya, Mthobisi Mncube, Mthokoziseni Maphisa, and Sifokuhle Ntuli, are charged with murder, attempted murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, possession of an unregistered firearm, and possession of ammunition.
They have all pled not guilty.