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By Mzilikazi Wa Afrika, Karabo Ngoepe 
6h ago
Johannesburg – Six years after former Bafana Bafana and Orlando Pirates captain Senzo Meyiwa was shot and killed at the home of his girlfriend Kelly Khumalo in Ekurhuleni, police made a breakthrough and arrested five men who it is believed that they were the hitmen.
The Sunday Independent can exclusively reveal that the arrest warrants were obtained on Wednesday for the five alleged hitmen, whose names this newspaper knows.
They were signed by lawyer Sibongile Mzinyathi, director of public prosecution for the Gauteng division of the National Tax Authority (NPA).
“A succinct summary of the facts and reasons for this decision are set out in the attached memorandum from the team to which the matter was assigned. The investigating officer will collect the file from this office in order to finalize the pending investigations and also to facilitate the first appearance of the suspects in court, ”reads Mzinyathi’s letter, dated October 21, 2020.
The suspects, who are said to be already in jail for other crimes, are expected to appear in court this week on charges of murder, aggravated robbery and violation of firearms laws.
National police spokesman Brigadier Vish Naidoo said on Saturday he could not comment. “A lot of damage has been done in this case and therefore I cannot comment on it,” Naidoo said.
However, sources from the Sunday Independent said the main suspect who pulled the trigger that killed Meyiwa was arrested on June 16 this year in Rustenburg, Northwest. He was a mining worker in Carletonville on the Gauteng West Rand.
The man is said to have admitted to killing Meyiwa to an independent police officer after his arrest.
The man is said to have confessed that he and his friends were hired to kill Meyiwa on October 18, 2014.
The man told investigators they were promised R250,000 for the coup, even though they had initially demanded R400,000, due to Meyiwa’s high profile, the sources said.
In his confession, the man is said to have also claimed that he had shot Meyiwa when the soccer star tried to hit him with a chair.
The second suspect was arrested on June 22 at a hotel in Ekurhuleni, east of Johannesburg, after police followed him from Nongoma, KwaZuluNatal. He was apparently found with an unlicensed firearm. The third suspect, who is also a mining worker, was arrested last December also in Carletonville.
At the time of the incident, unknown persons were said to have entered (Khumalo) ‘s house with the intention of robbing the occupants and taken the mobile phones.
The apparent confession of the trigger has revealed the intricate plot and identity of the person who commissioned the “hit.”
It is believed that at the center of the plot is the money that Meyiwa had supposedly promised someone but never kept. The individual is known in the post, but cannot yet be identified, as the police continue their investigations.
A report seen by the publication further revealed that police also found the weapon allegedly used to kill Meyiwa in a safe at the Cleveland Police Station in Johannesburg in July this year after following up on a lead.
The Sunday Independent understands that police are still investigating whether any of the people who were in the home when Meyiwa was shot may be charged with or linked to her murder.
NPA spokesman Sipho Ngwema was unable to confirm or deny on Saturday that Meyiwa’s alleged killers would appear in court before the end of the week.
He added that the NPA did not issue or execute arrest warrants.
“The NPA does not issue or execute court orders. Furthermore, we can only arrange the appearance of the accused once there are suspects who have been arrested, charged and are due to appear in court, ”said Ngwema.
Independent Sunday
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