Johannesburg – Five suspects linked to the death of former footballer Senzo Meyiwa have been arrested in KZN and Gauteng, Police Minister Bheki Cele announced on Monday.
Meyiwa was shot dead at his girlfriend Kelly Khumalo’s home, exactly six years ago today.
At the time, police said two suspected robbers entered the house and cellphones were stolen.
Cele said the arrests of the five suspects were made between 8am and 10am in Gauteng and KZN.
National Police Commissioner General Khehla Sitole said the key in solving the case was to use cold-case principles.
He said a weapon was recently found and the ballistic analysis confirmed it was the same weapon which was used during the Meyiwa shooting.
Cele also said that police could not rule out the possibility of making more arrests.
The suspects will appear at the Boksburg Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, said Sitole.
Sitole said three of those arrested were not necessarily in the house and also said more arrests would be made as the investigations was still ongoing.
“As police get arrested we will be guided by the investigation and what comes out,” said Sitole.
In the house that day was Meyiwa, Kelly and 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.
Weekend reports in the Sunday Independent said police had nabbed at least five people in connection with the murder of the former Orlando Pirates and Bafana Bafana goalkeeper-captain.
The Sunday Independent also reported five arrest warrants were secured on Wednesday last week, which were signed by advocate Sibongile Mzinyathi, Director of Public Prosecutions in the Gauteng division of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).
The newspaper said Meyiwa was killed in an apparent hit after gunmen were hired to carry out the job.
They were initially promised R250 000, the newspaper reported.
The Sunday Independent also said that police were still investigating whether any of the people who were in the house when Meyiwa was shot, can be charged or linked to his murder.
Cele said the investigation had taken a long time, but he was grateful that arrests had been made.
Cele said he would be speaking with the Meyiwa family at 6pm on Monday and said the police had not informed them before hand as they feared leaks.
“There have been too many leaks, we did not want to speak to them as if we are part of the leaks.
“Someone will be speaking with the mother. The brothers, cousins, everybody, should be there,” he said.
Cele and Sitole said that the police had a watertight case.
“It has been all the way about prosecution. We have a concrete case this time, because it is backed up by the evidence,” said Sitole.
He also said it was a coincidence that the arrests were made on the anniversary of Meyiwa’s death.
“It is coincidence, it is not that we have planned to make this announcement today because it is the anniversary,” said Sitole.
IOL