His trial has been ongoing for a while now. Orlando Pirates goalkeeper, Senzo Meyiwa was killed on October 26, 2014, while visiting his then-girlfriend and mother of his child, singer Kelly Khumalo, at her mother’s home in Vosloorus in Gauteng.
Present in the house on that fateful day was Senzo, Kelly and her younger sister, Zandie, their mother Ntombi Khumalo, Longwe Twala, Meyiwa’s friends Mthokozisi Thwala and Tumelo Madlala, and Kelly’s then 4-year-old son, Christian, and her and Senzo’s daughter Thingo. Today Zandie is expected to take the stand in front of the court to share her version of events of the night Senzo was murdered.
NOT WORRIED
In an interview in October 2022, Zandie said that she was at peace about testifying in the ongoing Senzo Meyiwa trial. She also shared her thoughts on social media about finding out that she might have to testify in court. “Yesterday I said to him [her husband] Brigadier so and so, called. They wanna come to the house on Thursday and consult with me because they want me to go and testify on the SM case,” she wrote in the caption of a post dedicated to her husband, Hloni Gumede. “He calmly said ‘abeze phela’ (let them come), and suddenly I was at peace.” She also thanked her husband being, “the best dad in the world” and the one who “makes things happen” and being her “source of strength.”
THE NINE-YEAR TRIAL
Senzo’s friend Mthokozisi Thwala, present on the night of the murder, returned to the witness stand last week and according to him, two men stormed into the house demanding cell phones and money. The murder trial resumed after being postponed due to a lack of a court interpreter. The isiZulu interpreter that had been helping with the trial couldn’t make it to court due to unforeseen circumstances.
The State Prosecutor Advocate George Baloyi asked the court for a postponement because their options were exhausted and they couldn’t find an interpreter to proceed. “Our regular interpreter is not available. He called this morning to say that due to circumstances beyond his control, he would not be able to come through to work. We tried to find an alternative but unfortunately, my lord, he is currently at Palm Ridge Court, which is 83 kilometres away from this court,” said Baloyi. All the defense attorneys agreed to proceed again today.
Currently, the accused are Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya, Bongani Sandiso Ntanzi, Mthobisi Prince Mncube, Mthokoziseni Maphisa, and Sifisokuhle Nkani Ntuli and they are being charged with premeditated murder, attempted murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, possession of firearms without a license and possession of ammunition. They have all pleaded not guilty.