By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The confession statements by two of the accused in the Senzo Meyiwa trial were unveiled on Friday morning following a ruling on their admissibility.
Five months after the start of a trial within a trial to establish the admissibility, the Pretoria High Court made a ruling on Thursday.
Judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng ruled that the statements made by the first two accused were made freely and voluntarily, despite the pair claiming to have been severely assaulted.
Now that the confession statements signed by Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya and Bongani Ntanzi were found to be admissible, they were read into the record.
The High Court in Pretoria on Friday heard that it was singer Kelly Khumalo who allegedly ordered the hit on her then-boyfriend Meyiwa.
The claim was contained in the confession statement by accused number 2, Ntanzi, which was read out by state witness Lieutenant Colonel Solomon Raphadu in court.
Bongani Ntanzi confession read in court:
In the confession statement of accused number two, Ntanzi told police that he received R45,000 for his role in the murder and accused number one, Sibiya was paid R30,000.
The hit was ordered by Khumalo who also has a child with Meyiwa.
On Friday, justice of the peace officer, Lieutenant Colonel Raphadu, who took down Ntanzi’s confession on June 19, 2020 in Moroka, read the statement in court.
Ntanzi, who was 30-years-old at the time, said he received a call in mid-October 2014 from his friend, Mthokoziseni Ziphozonke Maphisa, accused number four, who was in the company of accused number three, Mthobisi Prince Mncube.
After the call, he said he left his work place and went to meet his friends in Vosloorus hostel where they planned the murder.
“On Sunday between 7pm and 8pm we proceeded to the address. I went in with Carlos (Mncube) and others took their positions as discussed during the planning. When we entered the house Carlos shouted in Zulu: ‘phanzi, imali na ma cellphones!’ (down, money and cellphones!). I started collecting cellphones and cash that was in the container.”
He said a struggle ensued after Meyiwa jumped up and fought with Mncube (Carlos).
“Two shots were fired and the second shot hit Senzo as the gun was pointed at him. I fled into the silver Polo that was waiting outside, shortly afterwards everyone was in the car and we went back to the hostel.”
Upon arriving the hostel, he said he was given R15,000 and the next day, Mthobisi Mncube gave him another R30,000.
Sibiya’s confession statement read:
Sibiya said he also received a call from Mncube who told him that there was a job to kill Meyiwa for R100,000.
He implicated Khumalo as the one who ordered the hit.
He further added that they consulted a traditional healer to make sure that the job would go well. They paid R50 and later gave him another R5,000.
Sibiya said he was paid R30,000 for his role.
Meyiwa was shot and killed at Khumalo’s house in Vosloorus in 2014.
Five men are on trial for the murder, Sibiya, Ntanzi, Mncube, Mthokoziseni Maphisa and Fisokuhle Nkani Ntuli, who pleaded not guilty to the charges.