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Five suspects in the Senzo Meyiwa murder case appear at the Boksburg Magistrates Court on October 27, 2020 in Boksburg, South Africa. According to media reports, the suspects were arrested on the sixth anniversary of Meyiwa’s death in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. (Photo by Gallo Images / OJ Koloti)
After a big announcement on Monday, the five suspects who have been charged with murdering soccer star Senzo Meyiwa six years ago appeared in Boksburg Magistrates Court on Tuesday.
Four of the five men charged with the murder of the Orlando Pirates and Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa refused to enter the dock when they appeared in Boksburg Magistrates Court Tuesday for the tomorrow.
One of the defendants, Mthobisi Prince Mncube, said he would not enter the pier because he did not kill Meyiwa. Mncube said he was arrested while in custody as he and some of his co-defendants were serving other jail sentences.
The five defendants were indicted on various charges, including murder, attempted murder and aggravated robbery. They were also accused of violating Section 3 of Law 60 of 2000 in relation to the possession of a firearm.
The five defendants are: pregnant S’Themba Sibiya, Bongani Sandiso Ntanzi, Mthobisi Prince Mncube, Mthokoziseni Ziphozonke Maphisa and Sifokuhle Nkani Sifiso Ntuli.
Meyiwa was shot and killed on October 26, 2014 at Kelly Khumalo’s mother’s home in Vosloorus.
The state alleges that on the night of October 26, 2014, Meyiwa had visited Khumalo, his girlfriend, in Vosloorus. The state further alleges that there were several other people in the home, listing Khumalo’s mother, Gladness Khumalo, Khumalo’s sister, Zandile Lorraine Khumalo, Longwe Twala, Tumelo Madlala (included as a friend of Meyiwa), and Mthokozisi Twala as some of the occupants. According to the state, the occupants of the Khumalo house were in the living room.
“At around 8 in the afternoon two people broke into the house armed with a firearm and a knife, entered the house and demanded money and cell phones. There was a fight between Mr. Senzo Meyiwa and the person armed with a firearm, who had dreadlocks, had a golden dent in one of his teeth and was wearing a Khakhi-colored jacket, ”according to the state.
Four of the defendants had a brief dialogue with the magistrate when the drama occurred after they refused to step on the dock, claiming innocence.
The only defendant with a legal representative was Ntanzi.
The charge sheet establishes that on October 28, 2014, Dr. Johannes Steenkamp performed an autopsy and that the cause of death was indicated as “consistent with a gunshot wound to the chest that affected the heart and lung.”
A fragment of a spent bullet and a 9mm caliber bullet were later found in the house. The state said it will allege that the defendants were acting for a common purpose.
The case from six years ago has been littered with speculative details on social media about what may have happened on the day of Meyiwa’s murder. Twala’s father and renowned music producer Chicco Twala blamed the tweets for spreading false information. Family, friends and many South Africans have expressed frustration with the police handling of the case as it progresses. There have also been claims of cover-up.
Critics of the police say that had it not been for pressure on them by AfriForum, the case file would still be gathering dust.
On Monday, police announced a breakthrough in the case with the arrest of the five suspects in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. Police said they believed they had an airtight case against the defendant. They said that the forensic evidence linked the defendant to the crime scene and that the ballistic evidence also connected the defendant.
While the National Prosecution Authority (NPA) claimed in court that Meyiwa’s murder was a robbery gone wrong, Advocate for AfriForum’s private prosecution unit Gerrie Nel said he believes Meyiwa’s murder was not a robbery gone wrong, but a blow to the athlete’s life.
At a press conference on Monday, Nel reiterated comments by Police Minister Bheki Cele that further arrests could follow in this matter, and also that the person who pulled the trigger will be among the defendants who appeared in court.
“We have to congratulate the police. This is a big step in the investigation and there is a pretty strong case against these five people. The person who pulled the trigger will appear in court on Tuesday, ”Nel said.
“This was a murder by contract, a murder, it was not a sloppy robbery and what that means is that there is a brain and that person must be counted. When the suspects appear in court, many people will understand that this is a murder for hire and I want more people to pressure the police to target the mastermind, “said Nel.
Zamokuhle Mbatha was arrested in October 2014 for the Meyiwa shooting and spent two weeks behind bars. In early 2019, Mbatha said that he intended to file a R17 million lawsuit for wrongful arrest against the state. Mbatha was arrested following links through a police identikit.
On July 29, 2019, Meyiwa’s father, Sam Meyiwa, died without receiving justice for the murder of his son. He was rushed to Prince Mshiyeni Hospital in August 2018 after suffering a stroke. His health had deteriorated further as a result of the stroke.
The arrest of the five comes after reports over the weekend claiming that the arrest warrants for Meyiwa’s suspected killers had already been obtained. The reports further stated that the police were still investigating whether any of the people who were in the house when Meyiwa was shot can be charged with or linked to her murder.
The Meyiwa family have maintained that they believe that the people who were in the house during the incident know what happened to Meyiwa.
Judge Hans Havenga told the defendants that they had the right to submit formal requests for bail if they satisfied the court that exceptional circumstances existed for which it was in the interest of justice that they be granted bail.
The case was postponed until November 27, 2020. DM
