The trial into the murder of former Bafana Bafana goalkeeper, Senzo Meyiwa has been adjourned until Tuesday at the North Gauteng High Court. After proceedings were delayed, the judge made the ruling following a request to postpone the matter by Muzi Sibiya’s counsel.
Senzo Miyewa murder trial proceedings:
They argued that Sibiya, accused No.: 5 in the murder trial, has had his constitutional rights violated by the state, which withheld some of the statements “for security reasons”.
“The conduct of the state of withholding the statements violated accused No.: 5’s constitutional rights. He has been denied the opportunity to prepare for this trial and for his defence. It is my request that we adjourn this matter until tomorrow,” says Sibiya’s legal team.
The state says it is not opposed to the request to stand down matter for the day, stating that they withheld some of those statements since they felt by releasing those statements would reveal the identities of the state witnesses and possibly put their lives in danger.
The defence for accused No.: 1 to 4 was at pains trying to convince the court to proceed with the matter despite the adjournment request by Sibiya’s legal team.
Meyiwa was shot dead in October 2014 at his girlfriend, Kelly Khumalo’s home in Vosloorus. This happened in the presence of seven other people in the house including, Khumalo, her mother, her sister Zandi, Longwe Twala who was dating Zandi at the time, Meyiwa’s friends Mthokozisi Thwala and Tumelo Madlala and Kelly Khumalo’s 4-year-old son Christian.
This after three men entered the house and demanded money and cellphones, according to witness statements of those who were in the house. A fight is said to have ensued and the former Orlando Pirates keeper was shot.
Two years ago, the NPA announced a breakthrough in the investigation when Sibiya, Bongani Sandiso Ntanzi, Mthobisi Prince Mncube, Mthokoziseni Ziphozonnke Maphisa, and Sifisokuhle Ntuli were charged with Meyiwa’s murder, attempted murder of other witnesses, armed robbery, possession of firearms without a licence, and possession of ammunition.
In the court appearance of the accused last month to confirm their legal representatives, they remained adamant that they had played no part in the murder of the star footballer eight years ago.
Since Meyiwa’s fatal shooting, there has been wide-ranging speculation around the incident from whether the person who pulled the trigger was one of the people in the house at the time, to reports of a police cover-up.
However, the South African Police Service (SAPS) in 2019 dismissed a weekend newspaper’s cover-up reports.
The Sunday newspaper reported that Meyiwa was accidentally shot by one of the people present at the house; it further claimed that lead investigator Colonel Bongani Gininda withheld crucial statements during initial investigations.
There was a new twist in the speculation as confidential NPA documents were leaked to the media, revealing that Khumalo was being investigated.
Her legal team, however, said, the singer was never implicated nor charged, and that she was not a suspect.
A document, which was erroneously sent to the media by the NPA in the murder case, revealed that authorities were zoning in on Khumalo. It showed how investigators had asked for Khumalo’s cellphone communication with Sifokuhle Ntuli.
Document in the Meyiwa case reveals authorities are zoning in on Kelly Khumalo:
