Johannesburg - Five suspects linked with the murder of footballer Senzo Meyiwa are expected to appear at the Boksburg Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.
Police Minister Bheki Cele announced on Monday that the cold case unit which has been investigating the case since 2018 had finally made a breakthrough in the murder investigation. Five arrests were made on Monday in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.
Meyiwa was goalkeeper and captain for Orlando Pirates and the Bafana Bafana national team at his time of death on October 26, 2014.
He was killed in what police had initially thought to be a botched robbery.
Police now believe that this was not the case, and although they are coy on the details, they are emphatic that more arrests will follow soon.
People allegedly in the house when Meyiwa was shot dead in Vosloorus at the Khumalo household, were Meyiwa, Kelly and her sister Zandi Khumalo, their mother Ntombi, Longwe Twala, Meyiwa’s friends Mthokozisi Thwala and Tumelo Madlala, and Kelly’s then 4-year-old son, Christian, and Thingo, Kelly’s daughter with Senzo.
Police said from the five suspects arrested, they were able to place two suspects in the house on that day.
Ahead of the five suspects’ appearance in court on Tuesday morning, here are some facts you need to know so far:
1. Mastermind still at large
Afriforum's private prosecutions head, Gerrie Nel, believes strongly that there was a hit on the former footballer who died at the peak of his career.
The Meyiwa family approached Afriforum for assistance on the case in November last year. The lobby group's prosecutorial wing has been in contact with police investigators and believes police should be commended for the arrest of the five suspects.
Pressed to comment on the possibility of a hit, the police did not rule out the possibility, but National Police Commissioner General Khehla Sitole said police were still investigating further.
“We are following the investigation up to this point. Evidence that we have collected is what we have shared, the investigation is still continuing.
“After court we will know if it was a hit or properly planned. Further outcomes of the investigation will determine that,” said Sitole in Pretoria on Monday.
Nel, who spoke at a virtual press conference later on Monday, said: “They have not addressed the mastermind behind this assassination and that must be the most important aspect in this matter and we will, as far as we can, assist the South African Police Service and other role players to make sure it happens.''
It was not a robbery
Cele on Monday night ruled out the “alleged botched robbery” which was previously alleged to have resulted in Meyiwa being shot dead.
He stopped short of confirming that there had been a target on Meyiwa’s back, in other words a hit.
But the minister did reveal that the murder investigation was revealing more than the police had initially understood.
“The investigations will lead us onto what happened. Some of the people, whether arrested or still going to be arrested, will tell us what happened on that particular day.
“We are not shutting down (the investigation), but the investigations are not confirming that it was a robbery gone wrong, but they are not very conclusive that it was a hit.
“But we believe the death of Senzo might have been bigger than has been understood over time,” said Cele while addressing the media outside Meyiwa’s home in Umlazi, Durban, on Monday night.
Family knows who killed Senzo
Although the police arrested five suspects on Monday, the Meyiwa family, along with Nel, say they know who killed the footballer.
Speaking during a virtual press conference on Monday afternoon, Nel and Sifiso Meyiwa, who is the late footballer's brother, said they knew who killed Senzo.
“We feel fairly confident that our involvement, change of the (police investigating) team, and the movement of the case from one office to another, put a new focus on the investigation and allowed people to just focus on the evidence and to move the case forward,” said Nel, though he would not be drawn into naming the killer.
Gun discovery was key
Police Commissioner General Khehla Sitole said the discovery of the murder weapon was a crucial piece of evidence in the Meyiwa murder investigation and the subsequent arrests.
He said the cold case team which was assigned the Meyiwa case in 2018 had worked diligently to find the murder weapon.
This led them to the alleged shooter, who is one of the five people expected to appear in the Boksburg Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.
Sitole said ballistic analysis had also confirmed it was the weapon used during the Meyiwa shooting.
He also said his police officers were still at work regarding the Meyiwa case.
More arrests on the horizon
Nel said he believed the changing of the police investigating team led to the breakthrough.
He said they wrote a letter to the minister in January which resulted in the composition of the investigating team being changed and resulting on ‘real investigators’ being assigned to the case.
Nel said the new police investigators had to be applauded for their efforts as ‘the proof was in the pudding’, referring to the arrests.
“I do sympathise with the Meyiwa family, it's been six years of trauma, six years of lots of rumours, six years of lots of versions in this particular matter.
“I'm just a prosecutor, when I get involved in a matter I focus on the evidence.
“I've had a briefing with the SAPS and based on the briefing I do believe there is a good case, but the Meyiwa family has certain concerns and we will be looking at those concerns to reassure them of what we have and what they can expect in court,” said Nel while speaking to Newzroom Afrika on Monday night.
Sitole said more arrests would be made as the team investigating the case continued to unravel more evidence against potential suspects.
He also said three of those arrested were not necessarily in the house and that more arrests would be made, as the investigations were still ongoing.
“As people get arrested we will be guided by the investigation and what comes out,” said Sitole.
Cele also promised arrests while speaking at Umlazi on Monday night.
“One major thing that we are sure about, is that it's not the end, we will still be picking up (arresting) other people.
“We are very confident that the processes and the people we have are correct to be there,” he said.
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