Mthokozisi Thwala, a close friend of Senzo Meyiwa, testified at the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria, shedding light on discrepancies between his initial police statement and his evidence in court.
Mthokozisi Thwala testimony: Here’s what he said under cross-examination
The revelations have raised concerns about the handling of witness testimonies and potential impacts on the case.
Thwala, a pivotal witness in the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial, faced intense scrutiny from legal counsel representing two of the accused, Bongani Ntanzi and Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya.
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The counsel, advocate Sipho Ramosepele, questioned Mthokozisi Thwala about inconsistencies in his statements given to the police after the incident.
Discrepancies in Statements
Ramosepele highlighted several discrepancies in Thwala’s statements, including differing accounts of Longwe Twala’s involvement during the incident and the appearance of the intruder.
Thwala attributed these inconsistencies to errors made by the police officer who documented his statements. He clarified that he had subsequently provided additional information to rectify the inaccuracies.
Thwala’s responses shifted the blame towards the police, suggesting that the inaccuracies were a result of the officer’s confusion during the statement-taking process. He maintained that the discrepancies were not material to the core of his testimony.
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Questioning Thwala’s Decision To Sign Inaccurate Police Statement
Ramosepele questioned Thwala’s decision to sign the police statement despite its inaccuracies.
He compared Thwala’s attentiveness in correcting an editor’s work to the seemingly contradictory act of signing a flawed statement.
Thwala explained that his vigilance increased after the incident, but prior to that, he had not dealt with police statements and had no experience in such matters.
Thwala expressed his reluctance to engage with the media, citing previous instances of being misquoted.
He also revealed his reservations about participating in a book and a Netflix documentary on Senzo Meyiwa’s life due to concerns about potential misinformation.
The witness also raised concerns about the identity parade he participated in, where he pointed out a suspect with similar features to one of the intruders.
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Mthokozisi Thwala clarified that he never implicated the suspect as the perpetrator but noted the similarities in appearance.
Allegations of Police Torture
On the previous day of the trial, Mthokozisi Thwala accused the police of torturing him in an attempt to force a confession to Senzo Meyiwa’s murder.
He stood firm and refused to alter his statement. Following the alleged assault, he filed a complaint against specific police officers.
Thwala is expected back on the witness stand on Friday, where he will endure fiery cross-examination from defence lawyers.
Follow the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial live on Swisher Post.
