Senzo Meyiwa was killed in cold blood on 26th October 2014 but eight years later, his family and loved ones are yet to get justice for the murder of the young rising star.
In April 2022, Senzo Meyiwa’s case commenced and although its commencement gave his loved ones some hope, it seems that the case is far from being solved.
Here is everything you need to know about Senzo Meyiwa’s trial to date. Do you believe that justice will be delivered for the slain football star?
Senzo Meyiwa’s case
At the time of his death, police believed that three men had been involved in Senzo's murder.
According to the charge sheet produced in court, two armed people entered Kelly Khumalo’s house in Vosloorus demanding valuables. In the confrontation, Senzo Meyiwa was fatally shot as he tried to protect Kelly Khumalo.
Three days after the national star’s death, one person- Zamokuhle Mbatha, was apprehended in relation to the murder. He was later released due to a lack of evidence.
According to the charge sheet produced in court, two armed people entered Kelly Khumalo’s house in Vosloorus demanding valuables. In the confrontation, Senzo Meyiwa was fatally shot as he tried to protect Kelly Khumalo.
Three days after the national star’s death, one person- Zamokuhle Mbatha, was apprehended in relation to the murder. He was later released due to a lack of evidence.
Read also: What happened to Senzo Meyiwa’s wife?
The accused in Senzo Meyiwa’s case
Six years after his death, a little light shone on Senzo Meyiwa’s loved ones as five suspects were arrested in relation with his murder in 2020.
The suspects- Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya, Bongani Sandiso Ntanzi, Mthobisi Prince Mncube, Mthokoziseni Maphisa and Fisokuhle Ntuli, were arrested and charged with counts of murder, attempted murder, armed robbery, possession of firearms without a licence and possession of ammunition.
The five pleaded not guilty on all counts and their trial was set to commence on 11th April 2022.
The five pleaded not guilty on all counts and their trial was set to commence on 11th April 2022.
Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya
36 year old Sibiya was arrested in Tembiwa, Gauteng. A few days before the trial began, he was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment after being found guilty in an unrelated case where he had been accused of attempted murders of two other people.
During the trial, Sibiya who often wears a hoodie is usually quiet and distant from his co-accused.
Bongani Sandiso Ntanzi
31-year-old Bongani Sandiso Ntanzi is the second accused person in Senzo Meyiwa’s murder case. He was arrested in Sibanye Gold in North West where he was employed at the time.
According to Colonel Bongani Gininda’s affidavit (who is the lead investigator in the case), Bongani made two confessions- to the police on the 19th of June 2020 and to the magistrate at the Boksburg Magistrates’ Court on 24th June 2020.
Mthobisi Prince Mncube
Mthombisi Prince Mncube is the third co-accused in Senzo Meyiwa’s case. He is 38 years old and has maintained that he is innocent so far, even appearing in court in 2020 with a shirt with the words “I want justice to be done. I’m not a killer of Senzo Meyiwa” written on it.
According to Gininda’s affidavit, photos on Mncube’s phone showed him wearing clothes that resembled the clothes that witnesses at Meyiwa’s murder scene claimed had been worn by the intruder.
Mthokoziseni Maphisa
The fourth co-accused in Senzo Meyiwa’s case is 37 years old Mthokoziseni Maphisa. Like Mncube, Maphisa also maintains that he is innocent.
Maphisa’s sister- Sinqobile Maphisa appeared in the Netflix documentary Senzo: Murder of a Soccer Star where she said that she was certain of his brother’s innocence.
Sifisokuhle Ntuli
Sifisokuhle Ntuli is the fifth co-accused in Senzo Meyiwa’s murder case. As per Gininda’s affidavit, Ntuli was the getaway driver in the crime.
Like Sibiya, Ntuli has also been sentenced for other unrelated crimes. In January 2022, he was sentenced to six life sentences and 39 years. He was convicted for the murder of ANC councillor Thami Nyembe in KwaNongoma, KwaZulu-Natal, in 2016.
Proceedings of Senzo Meyiwa’s case
Senzo Meyiwa’s murder case finally commenced on 22nd April 2022, after being postponed from the initial set date- 11th April 2022.
The lead prosecutor in the case is NPA’s Advocate George Baloyi while the chief defense advocate is Zandile Mshololo.
In June 2022, Zandile Mshololo requested to go through a docket that was opened in 2019 by the NPA. The docket named the people who were present in Khumalo’s house on the night of Meyiwa’s death as witnesses including Kelly Khumalo, Zandile Khumalo, Longwe Twala, Gladness Khumalo, Tumelo Madlala, Mthokozisi Thwala and Maggy Phiri.
It seems that we are far from uncovering the truth about who killed Senzo Meyiwa but we trust that the court will deliver justice in due time and we will keep you posted on the latest developments.