No limp, no injury: CCTV footage undermines Longwe Twala shooting claim in Meyiwa case

SOUTH AFRICA – Video footage has cast doubt on claims that Longwe Twala shot himself on the night of Senzo Meyiwa’s murder, with evidence showing him walking uninjured the very next day.

This directly contradicts a narrative presented by one of the accused in the high-profile case, who claimed that Twala — son of legendary music producer Chicco Twala — had accidentally shot himself in the ankle during the fatal altercation at the Khumalo home on October 26, 2014.

According to that version of events, three shots were fired on the night: one allegedly struck the ground and injured singer Zandile Khumalo, another fatally hit Meyiwa, and the third reportedly hit Twala in the ankle.

However, Brigadier Bongani Gininda, the lead investigator in the case, testified in court that CCTV footage taken on October 27 — the day after the shooting — shows Twala walking normally, without any sign of injury.

“That is Longwe Twala. I know him from the investigation,” Gininda said in court. “He seems to be walking fine, contrary to what was put to me by the late advocate Thulani Mngomezulu, who claimed that Longwe shot himself in the foot.”

Gininda continued: “This is footage from the 27th of October 2014, taken during the day. The incident occurred on the night of the 26th. The video clearly shows the Khumalo house — the crime scene.”

He said the theory proposed by the late Mngomezulu did not align with any other available evidence. “None of the people in the house, including Longwe himself, claimed he had shot himself. Even the neighbours, the Ngcatshes, did not report such an incident.”

“If Longwe had shot himself in the ankle — a low trajectory — you would expect to see blood on the floor. But no such traces were found.

“We also heard that Longwe drove himself to the hospital after the incident. But how does someone manage to drive with a bullet wound in the ankle?”

Gininda concluded by saying that even at the hospital, there was no record or report of Longwe being treated for any gunshot injury. “I don’t believe nurses would overlook such a wound. There’s simply no evidence to support the claim.”