AfriForum make an announcement regarding the civil rights organization’s involvement in the murder case of Senzo Meyiwa, the former goalkeeper and captain of Bafana Bafana. Senzo Meyiwa was shot dead in a house in Vosloorus five years ago at the age of 27. No prosecution has to date been instituted by the National Prosecuting Authority.
The lobby group could announce that it would embark on a private prosecution in the case as, five years on, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has yet to prosecute anyone. Last month, on the anniversary of Meyiwa’s death, his family said they had requested AfriForum’s help in finding and jailing his murderer.
The goalie was gunned down in Volsoorus, east of Johannesburg, in the presence of his girlfriend, Kelly Khumalo; her mother, Ntombi; sister Zandi; Zandi’s then boyfriend, Longwe Twala; his friends Mthokozisi Twala and Tumelo Madlala; and their son, who was four-years-old at the time. It was alleged Meyiwa was killed in a botched robbery.
A man was arrested in connection with the incident shortly after his death, but was later released and filed a lawsuit against police for wrongful arrest. TimesLIVE reported last month that as the investigation continued, Gauteng director of public prosecutions Andrew Chauke recommended that a new team take over the matter.
In a twist to the five-year investigation into Bafana Bafana captain Senzo Meyiwa’s murder, it has now emerged that the police now believe one of the people present in the house where Senzo was gunned down, is the culprit and that everyone present lied to police about who really killed the former Orlando Pirates goalkeeper.
In a lengthy audio recording, obtained by City Press, a senior executive in the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) tells a member of Meyiwa’s family that the police will again question those who were in the house at the time of Meyiwa’s murder.
The executive is heard saying that the people who were in the house when Meyiwa was gunned down lied when they made their original statements to the police in saying that a robbery had taken place.
“The crucial evidence was lost ages ago and all the witnesses who were in the house at the time of the shooting lied when they said there was an armed robbery when Senzo was fatally shot,” says the NPA executive in the recording.
“As the NPA, we suspect the shooting happened among the people who were inside the house. We need experienced police to go back and re-interview everyone who was in the house on the day Senzo was gunned down. We are not happy with their statements.”
When approached by City Press for comment, the executive declined.
Initially, the story was that an armed man and his accomplice had stormed the home of singer Kelly Khumalo – Meyiwa’s girlfriend at the time – at about 8pm on the Sunday evening of October 26 2014. A struggle ensued and one of the robbers fired his gun. A bullet struck Meyiwa in his upper body and killed him.