By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Lead investigator in the Senzo Meyiwa murder case, Brigadier Bongani Gininda has read a statement in which one of the accused, Muzi Sibiya, implicates singer Kelly Khumalo as being the person who ordered the killing of Senzo Meyiwa.
Gininda was cross-examined at the Pretoria High Court on Wednesday.
Meyiwa was shot dead in the presence of his then girlfriend Khumalo at her mother’s home in Vosloorus in October 2014. Also present were Kelly’s sister Zandile, her boyfriend Longwe Twala, the two women’s mother Ntombi Khumalo and two of Meyiwa’s friends visiting from KwaZulu-Natal.
The occupants claimed Meyiwa was killed by one of two intruders who barged into the home and demanded cellphones and money.
Five men, Fisokuhle Ntuli (Accused 5), Mthobisi Mncube (Accused 3), Sibiya (Accused 1), Bongani Ntanzi (Accused 2)and Mthokoziseni Maphisa (Accused 4), are on trial for the soccer star’s murder.
“The suspect made a confession to a commissioned officer on the 19th of June and later made a further confession in the presence of his attorney and to a magistrate in Boksburg Magistrate’s Court on the 24th of June. Through the confession it does appear that this suspect is the suspect that was described as tall and slender who came into the house,” said Gininda.
“He also implicated Kelly Khumalo as the person who gave the order to kill Senzo Meyiwa,” he reveals.
Gininda said cellphone records also showed that after Senzo was killed, Kelly did not call emergency services.
“No call was made to emergency services. She subsequently went to a witch doctor for cleansing as it was also done to the other accused in this matter,” he said.
Gininda said someone who is not guilty would not behave in such a manner.
Kelly was also implicated by accused number two, Bongani Ntanzi as the mastermind of Meyiwa’s murder.
This is not the first time Kelly’s name has been mentioned in the trial, the cellphone experts, Colonel Lambertus Steyn, previously told the court that cellphone records had revealed calls between the number that was being used by accused 5, Ntuli and a number registered under Kelly’s name. According to Steyn, the calls took place at least on two occasions before Meyiwa’s October 2014 murder – the first time on the 2nd of August in 2014, followed by another call on the 15 of October, exactly 11 days before the incident.
Gininda said according to Sibiya’s confession, he was standing outside at the time the former Bafana Bafana was shot and killed, despite naming the name of Marco Buthelezi as the person who killed Meyiwa.
However, he said their investigation has revealed accused 3, Mncube was the person that pulled the trigger and killed the former soccer star.
He said the photos downloaded from Mncube’s phone revealed that on the day, the third accused was wearing clothes that matched the description of the accused who entered the house carrying a gun, spotting dreadlocks.
Gininda said a photo of a see-through bag containing cash was found on accused number three’s phone. The same picture was also discovered on Kelly’s phone.
He also said Kelly did not disclose cellphone numbers to the police and these were discovered during investigations. She is linked to accused number three and five through cellphone records.
The matter was adjourned to Thursday, 25 January.