The sixth state witness, Mthokozisi Thwala told the court that Bafana Bafana captain Senzo Meyiwa was no longer gasping when they arrived in hospital.
Thwala testified that there were two intruders at the house and Meyiwa had a scuffle with the gunman when he was shot and killed in 2014 at the Vosloorus home of his girlfriend Kelly Khumalo.
Thwala said when they were en route to Botshelong Hospital Meyiwa was still alive because he was gasping for air and he was trying to speak.
“Kelly got in the driver’s seat. She was the one driving. There were five people in the car including Senzo and no one was sitting in the passenger seat in front. We were traveling at high speed and Senzo was gasping. You could see that he wanted to say something but he couldn’t,” said Thwala
“We drove the vehicle until we arrived at Botshelong. I don’t know if it is a clinic or a hospital. Before we arrived at Botshelong Senzo was still breathing because I remember I held his arm up to see if he was going to drop it or what. He was still holding on. We arrived at Botshelong, they all got out of the car and I stayed behind with him in the car.
“We were parked at the emergency entrance. I tried to do the same thing we did when we were enroute to the hospital. I held his arm up but his arm was just falling. He wasn’t gasping anymore. You could see that he was already dead or he was about to die,” he added.
Thwala said Meyiwa was declared dead after 5 to 10 minutes of their arrival at the hospital.
“What I remember is that a nurse and a doctor came and they placed him on a stretcher. They took him to a surgery room.I don’t know what they call it. After 5 to 10 minutes the doctor came out and then asked for an elderly person. What I remember is that they called Kelly’s mother and I followed. They then said that he is no more,” said Thwala.
