The trial of five men accused of killing former Orlando Pirates and Bafana Bafana star Senzo Miyiwa continued at the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on Monday. file image.
- The state will not call Kelly Kumalo as a witness.
- A heated oral exchange took place between the defense counsel and the state witness.
- The defense asserted that there was no robbery or intrusion on the night of Senzo Miiwa’s shooting.
Singer Kelly Kumalo is not on the state’s witness list in the trial of five men accused of killing her boyfriend, Senzo Miiwa, in 2014.
The public prosecutor, barrister George Baloyi, confirmed on Monday before the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria that she would not be called as a witness.
This issue was brought up during the cross-examination of her sister, Zandile Kumalo, the first state witness.
Defense attorney Zithulele Nxumalo told Zandile there were inconsistencies in the statements of the occupants of the house when Mayiwa was shot in October 2014.
“I have told this court that the first shot was in the kitchen. But your sister Kelly’s statement indicates that the struggle was in the dining room,” Nxumalo said.
Read | Senzo Miiwa Trial: “There were no intruders,” one of the defense attorneys testifies
Zandelle said she couldn’t answer, and that he was welcome to call Kelly to ask her because she was still alive.
Then Judge Ratha Mukuatlheng Paloyi asked if the state would call Kelly as a witness — to which Paloyi replied, “No.”
Nxumalo told the court that the defense would submit a request for Kelly to testify.
A heated exchange ensues after Nxumalo tells Zandile to stop giving long drawn out answers.
Zandell said:
Please watch your tone when you talk to me. I’m not your wife. I’m someone else’s wife.
Mokguatlheng intervened – and said court decency must be maintained.
Then Nxumalo said to Zandile, “I told you that the dead man was killed by someone in the house.”
Zandel replied, “What I’m saying is people walked in and shot Senzo. There were intruders; they shot Senzo. I don’t lie. I don’t care how many times you try to say what you say; my response will still be the same. You can say it 50 times differently, my response will be the same.”
The trial continues.