First witness on the stand in Matlala, co-accused attempted murder trial

[00:00:00]Today we are expecting the cross-examination of the state's first witness. The witness who was called to the stand yesterday is Bethwell Thwala.

[00:00:10]Bethwell Thwala in this instance was the security guard who worked at the Centurion Golf Estate. This is where businessman Joseph Zinyoni lived during that shooting incident in 2022. In this instance, what the state is currently trying to do is paint a picture of what really happened the night when Joseph Zinyoni and others were shot at. We heard from Thwala, the witness himself, talking about how on the night there were three cars. Initially, there were two cars that entered the estate and they were later followed by a white BMW and the occupants of that BMW then started firing shots. Why the white BMW is important [music] in this instance, the state has always maintained that the gunmen during the time of the shooting were using a BMW. The state also was speaking about how after the shooting incident of Sibanyoni, Vusi Musi Khumalo called his former partner asking her to at least to keep his car in her garage and the car that was kept in Vusi Musi Khumalo's former partner is that white BMW. Leanne, the state in this case is saying that accused number one and two, which is Fidel Mabuse and Mosaka Kana, those are the alleged gunmen. So, the state is basically now putting its case to the court, but we heard during a cross-examination by the council of the first accused in this case, Mosaka Kana, just trying to question the memory really of Bethwell Thwala when it comes to the incident of the night. And he did indicate that some of what he had said is not a convincing, but he will argue the matter further as the trial goes on. But now, Khwezi was also painting a picture, Leanne, I must tell you about how the scene looked like. He spoke about how it was basically a war zone. He said how the bullet cartridge cases were all over the complex itself. Even he himself, as he told the court, he tried protecting himself against the gunmen at the time firing at least 15 bullets just to protect himself. And he even said he really thinks that he did hit one of those gunmen. At this point, the state has not disclosed who the people in the Ferrari were that parked at the complex itself. But you remember when the state was talking about that complex itself, which is the country estate. This is the issue of the shooting of Senzo Meyiwa.

[00:02:57]So, the state is slowly coming to put its case together. And I just want to tell you, yesterday they tried putting the video footage of that night, but the defense successfully objected to that.

[00:03:10]But the state says in the in a later stage it will bring the video of the night of the shooting incident.

[00:03:17]>> All right, Neria. I know many people were looking forward to seeing that footage and that on that evening, but certainly as you say, hopefully at a later stage we'll all get to take a look and see what unfolded that night. Today it continues with cross-examination and Neria on that story for us.