Senzo Meyiwa trial: Accused's statements point to Kelly Khumalo's ...

The confession statements from two of the accused has revived suspicions regarding the potential involvement of Senzo Meyiwa's former girlfriend, Kelly Khumalo, in his murder.

NEWS

The much-anticipated confession statements made by two of the five men accused of the murder of former Orlando Pirates and Bafana Bafana captain, Senzo Meyiwa, reignited allegations that the slain soccer star's girlfriend, Kelly Khumalo, may have been involved in his death.

These statements were finally disclosed in the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on Friday.

The confession statements of Bongani Sandiso Ntanzi and Muzikawukhulelwa Sthemba Sibiya, which were taken in 2020 during their arrests, were read out in court by the police officers who took them following Judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng’s ruling on Thursday that they should admitted as evidence in the main trial.

READ: Court finds confessions of Senzo Meyiwa murder accused made freely and voluntarily

This followed the trial-within-a-trial, which started last October, after Ntanzi and Sibiya challenged the admissibility of both confessions, claiming they were made under duress because they had been assaulted and tortured.

However, Judge Mokgoatlheng found against them, stating that the statements were made freely and voluntarily, and without any coercion.

The state’s first witness to take the stand on Friday was Lieutenant Colonel Moholo Solomon Raphadu, who took Ntanzi’s statement on 19 June 2020 at Moroka Police Station in Soweto.

In his confession statement, which Raphadu said Ntanzi made while he was of sound mind and sober senses, the accused claimed that on 17 October 2014 he received a call from one of the five men standing trial for Meyiwa’s murder, Mthokoziseni Maphisa, about a contractual job to kill Meyiwa for R 250 000.

Meyiwa was fatally shot in what the state alleges was a botched robbery that took place on 26 October 2014, at Khumalo’s house in Vosloorus, east of Johannesburg. However, according to Ntanzi’s confession statement, this alleged robbery was orchestrated by Khumalo in order for them to kill Meyiwa.

READ: State witness denies Senzo Meyiwa was planning to marry Kelly Khumalo

Ntanzi alleged that he was involved in the murder along with some of the accused men, including a man known as Carlos Buthelezi. He claimed in his confession statement that Khumalo wanted Meyiwa killed, among other reasons, because he had promised her money and failed to deliver.

The statement read:

“The guys told her that for a person of Senzo Meyiwa’s status, an amount of R 400 000 is necessary. She stood up and chat on the phone and again called our leaders Mtokoziseng, Caros and Mabungu [sic]. There was a disagreement of the price, Kelly Khumalo told us that the only money available was R 250 000 upon completion of the assignment and the rest of the money will follow in two instalments within two months.”

Ntanzi allegedly detailed the role of each of the accused in the murder of Meyiwa. He stated that while he was inside the Khumalo house with the third accused, Mthobisi Mncube, Meyiwa jumped onto Mncube, and a scuffle ensued, resulting in the footballer being shot in the chest.

Ntanzi claimed that he was paid a total of R45 000 for his part in the murder. He was paid R15 000 on the day of the murder and another R30 000 later.

The state’s second witness to take the stand was retired Colonel Mhlanganyelwa Mbotho, who took the confession statement of Sibiya. He said Sibiya was of sound mind and sober senses when he took his statement.

Reading out Sibiya’s statement, Mbotho said that the accused confessed that he received a call from his friends - Marco and Makhimbi Buthelezi – between September and October 2014 about a hit job to kill Meyiwa, allegedly initiated by Khumalo.

READ: Witness denies that he failed to call an ambulance for Senzo

He claimed that they consulted a traditional healer from Eswatini to establish if job would go well and to seek protection before they could kill Meyiwa. The accused apparently paid the traditional healer R50 and later another amount of R5 000 after the job was done.

Sibiya allegedly confessed that he was paid R30 000 for his part in Meyiwa’s murder and the firearm that was used to kill the soccer player, which was owned by Marco, was sold to another person in KwaZulu-Natal.

Mbotho stated while reading the confession statement:

 Sibiya, Ntanzi, Maphisa, Mthobisi Prince Ncube and Sifisokuhle Ntuli are standing trial for Meyiwa's 2014 murder.

They are facing various charges, including premeditated murder and attempted murder. All of the accused have pleaded not guilty and remain behind bars.

 The trial has been adjourned to Monday for the state to bring further witnesses who were involved in the taking of the alleged confession statements.