He walked the corridors of the Randburg Magistrate's Court wearing flip-flops, blue jeans, a white t-shirt, cap with his left arm bandaged, accompanied by his domestic worker. Award-winning music executive Chicco Twala was in court where his two sons Longwe Twala (39) and Sello (34), both sound engineers, appeared on a charge of theft opened by their father.
OVER 30 REHABS
Chicco said he needed to open the case against his son, Longwe, to teach him a lesson after he stole music studio equipment worth over R200k from his home while he was overseas. "My son is a drug addict. He has been an addict since the age of 17 years old,' Chicco said. "I have taken him to over 30 rehab centres and we have tried to help him as a family, but we failed," he told journalists outside court. After he attempted staying clean, Chicco took him back to live with him again.
"My sister brought him back and I took him in. I wanted him to take over the business but instead he stole from me.' Chicco said he got him arrested because he has had enough. "I took this decision as a responsible parent because my son has been having problems with drugs from way back.' Chicco said, his other son, Sello, was an accomplice but has never been a problematic child. "He was there when it happened. So, he must also get arrested, otherwise, I have never had issues with him and he is not a drug addict.' While court proceedings dragged, Chicco addressed the ongoing Senzo Meyiwa trial where his son Longwe is implicated. He quickly corrected that this arrest and the Senzo trial are two different cases and this is not to distract anyone from the trial. "This has nothing to do with Senzo and I am not distracting the trial as haters on social media say," he said.
JAILED
The social media courts have already pinned Longwe as Senzo's killer but Chicco said his son is a thief but not a murderer. "The people accusing him of murder are psychopaths- they are mad!' he says. "This has nothing to do with Senzo. I know my son; he is a thief and a druggie but he is not a killer. Longwe has never carried a gun in his life. The shooting Senzo theory is nonsense. I know he didn't do it, he did not shoot Senzo.," he said. Chicco added that Longwe's drug habit has been on and off and he would love for him to stay clean. "He has been in the streets all of his life and I would accept him here and there when he comes out from rehab. If I knew he killed Senzo I would be happy because I would rather see him in jail than to have him suffer in the streets.'
NOT TAKING THE STAND
Chicco does not want to take the stand in the Senzo case and said his son is free to do so. "Longwe is an adult and if the police want him, they know where to find him," he said, adding "I don't know why they would want me to go there as I was not there." Addressing his relationship with Kelly, who was also present when Senzo died, Chicco said they have not been speaking. "Kelly and the people who were in the house must take responsibility for their actions. I have not spoken to her. I was her producer and that is where is ends." He has, however, been in contact with Senzo's family. "I was very close with Senzo, I speak to his family all the time." Sello's charges of theft were dropped due to lack of evidence. The matter has been postponed to 12 September for bail application while Longwe seeks legal aid.
