NOXOLO MIYA
noxolo.miya@inl.co.za
Joburg - The Senzo Meyiwa murder trial has been dragging for years, and it is nothing short of explosive.
Here are some recaps:
1. All five suspects who are on trial for the murder of the soccer star have pleaded not guilty. The lawyer representing Accused Number 5, Fisokuhle Ntuli, said the State had ambushed them at the 11th hour.
2. Meyiwa’s family believe the men in the dock aren’t the only ones who should be in court. Meyiwa’s relative and family spokesperson, Siyabonga Miya, confirmed that the family had received a message from a witness who claimed that the former Orlando Pirates goalie was killed by someone inside the house.
“What is really sad are the statements that these witnesses are making in public, claiming that there was a robbery and Senzo was killed by one of the robbers, while they know the truth.
“I confronted this man four times and asked him why he is lying to the public, and he couldn’t give me a straight answer. We told police about these, but we, as a family, believe the top police brass are covering up this matter for certain individuals implicated,” Miya said.
3. Kelly Khumalo’s lawyer, Magdalene Moonsamy, was denied access to the courtroom and documents by the Gauteng High Court. Moonsamy had made an application to conduct a watching brief and to have access to transcripts of court proceedings and copies of two dockets in the matter, but the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria stood by its earlier ruling regarding Moonsamy’s presence in court. Advocate Zandile Mshololo for Accused No 5 said she opposed Moonsamy’s application and said it would compromise the trial.
4. There is a documentary on Netflix detailing Senzo Mayiwa’s death. The documentary focuses on Meyiwa’s death: who did it and why? The documentary also dives into the evidence of the case. One of the State witnesses, Tumelo Madlala, who was among the people who were in the Vosloorus home of Meyiwa’s then-girlfriend, Kelly Khumalo, where the soccer star was shot, recently took the stand and was cross-examined by the defence team. Madlala revealed that he had received money from Netflix for the documentary, but he could not disclose how much.
5. In 2016, Senzo Meyiwa’s three children were set to benefit from the Premier Soccer League insurance policy. The R4-million payout would be equally shared by Orlando Pirates and the Meyiwa family. In terms of the policy, half the amount would be paid to his former club, the Orlando Pirates, and the other half to his family.
The Star