Mthokozisi Thwala, a close friend of Senzo Meyiwa, told the Gauteng High Court on Friday that he was shocked to hear that a SIM swap was done on Meyiwa’s cellphone a day after he was killed. Thwala, who is a witness in the trial of five men accused of killing the former football star, said he was unaware of the SIM swap until he heard about it in court. He said he was perturbed to hear that someone had managed to do the SIM swap, as it meant that they must have had Meyiwa’s identity document.

According to Thwala’s testimony, Kelly Khumalo, Meyiwa’s girlfriend, had Meyiwa’s identity document until 28 October 2014, while Steyn told the court the SIM swap was done on 27 October. Thwala said that Khumalo refused to give him the identity document when he asked for it, and told him that she would only give it to Meyiwa’s brother and father.

Thwala was also probed on the nature of the relationship between Meyiwa and Khumalo, but he declined to comment, saying that he did not want to be viewed in a bad light. He also denied that he had been drinking on the night of Meyiwa’s murder, and said that he was able to see clearly what was happening. The trial continues on Monday with a new witness on the stand.

The revelation that a SIM swap was done on Meyiwa’s cellphone is a significant development in the case. It suggests that the killers may have been able to access Meyiwa’s phone records and communications, which could provide valuable evidence for the prosecution.bThe fact that Khumalo had Meyiwa’s identity document at the time of the SIM swap is also interesting. It is possible that she gave the document to the killers, or that they stole it from her.