‘Kelly you have killed him”: Zandie Khumalo details of how Senzo Meyiwa died in her arms
Zandie Khumalo was back on the witness stand today detailing her last moments with Senzo Meyiwa on the night he was shot at the singer’s home in Vosloorus.
She was one of the seven people who were inside the house when the late soccer star was shot in a home invasion on 26 October 2014.
Zandie told the court that she peeped through the bathroom door helplessly watching Meyiwa crawling to safety after the shooting.
EVERYONE WAS IN SHOCK
She said she was in the bathroom after the shooting and peeped through the door. “I saw Senzo walking out of the kitchen with his hands on his torso crouching. He hid between the couches.
He knelt between the couch and the TV stand. While I was still hiding in the bathroom, Kelly, my mom, and the intruder with dreadlocks followed Senzo,” She said the intruder noticed her mother grabbing the phone on the armrest of the couch and he hit her with his elbow.
“She fell on the couch and the intruder took the phone and then walked out of the house. At that time, Kelly was supporting Senzo with her knees. I walked out of the bathroom and went to where Kelly and Senzo were and I asked what had happened. Kelly said Senzo was bleeding and he had been shot. I could see that Senzo was struggling to breathe,” she added.
Zandie said she remembered that when the intruders first came in, she hid her cellphone behind the cushion on the couch. “I took my cell phone and given the fact that I was in shock, I couldn’t think of a number to dial.”
SEEKING HELP FROM THE NEIGHBOURS
She said she rushed to a neighbour’s house to seek help, her mother’s friend in particular.
“I went to MaPhiri’s house which is my mom’s friend who stays on our street and found her and her niece standing outside. I asked MaPhiri to call the cops and an ambulance.
MaPhiri asked what happened and I explained that Senzo had been shot by intruders. She started panicking and I kept repeating to her to call the cops, she then asked her niece because she said she couldn’t think straight.
But they were both hysterical and I realised that she wouldn’t be able to help so I went back home,” Zandie told the court. She said there and then, she decided to run back to her home where she found two neighbours trying to put Senzo inside the car.
SENZO STARTED GETTING COLD INSIDE THE CAR
She said she sat in the back with Senzo with his head on her lap while Kelly was driving, Mthoko and Tumelo were also in the car. “There was a hand towel used to compress the gunshot wound to try to apply pressure.
We were all taking turns compressing and putting pressure on the gunshot wound while Kelly was driving at high speed.”When we were close to Botshelong Hospital, I was shaking his face trying to keep Senzo awake and telling him we were arriving,” the sobbing Zandie related the story to the court.
The court was adjourned for a short while as Zandi was given time to compose herself after getting emotional. After a few minutes’ break, Zandie continued her testimony where he told the court that she tried keeping Senzo awake while she placed her hand on his stomach.
“I could feel him getting cold. Senzo’s body temperature was varying. When I put my hand on his face it was warmer than his stomach,”
ARRIVING IN HOSPITAL
Zandie Khumalo said when they arrived at the hospital, she screamed for help and nurses came through with stretchers. “They took Senzo into the hospital into a room. We followed behind them and they told us we couldn’t go into the room and that we should wait by the seating area.
We waited and my mom arrived with Longwe. My mom then asked where Senzo was and whether he was alright. I pointed to the room where he was placed.
My mom walked towards that room and a few seconds later, I heard my mom crying. Kelly and I went into the room and Kelly started talking to him. I don’t remember what she said to him, she then kissed him on the forehead.
She removed his earrings and I think his watch as well. She spoke to Senzo again for a while and we left the room to join the others,” she testified. According to Zandie, Chicco Twala arrived at the hospital soon after but said that she didn’t know how he knew about the incident. “He said he was also told that Senzo is no more. He then slid down the wall until he sat down,” Zandie said Meyiwa’s wife, Mandisa Mkhize, also arrived at the hospital with a group of friends and started assaulting Kelly, pulling her by the hair.
“During the assault, Mandisa kept on saying to Kelly ‘You’ve killed him’. We then tried to separate them and I said to Mandisa this was not the time because Senzo was not someone who liked hostility. I asked that we calm down.” The trial continues at the Pretoria High Court.
