Cape Town – While Police Minister Bheki Cele claims they have a “watertight case’’ against the five accused of killing former Bafana Bafana star Senzo Meyiwa, the mastermind has yet to be apprehended.
Advocate Gerrie Nel, of AfriForum's private prosecution unit, said at a media briefing on Monday afternoon: "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.''
The five suspects were arrested on Monday morning for the Vosloorus, Ekurhuleni, murder exactly six years ago.
Nel said the police agreed that Meyiwa wasn't killed in a robbery.
“We have been briefed to say this was not a robbery gone wrong. This was an assassination. So the one outstanding aspect here, and we are disappointed it hasn't happened yet, is to address the mastermind — because if there's a hit, there's a mastermind,” said Nel.
Meyiwa’s brother, Sifiso, who also attended the briefing, said: ''I'm still shocked by what I'm hearing but I'd like to thank the SAPS and AfriForum on behalf of the family for the progress in the case.
’’Although we are grateful (for) the arrests made, we remain anxious that the mastermind was not arrested. We remain hopeful that more arrests will follow.”
Both Nel and Sifiso, who said he was ready to face the people who allegedly killed his brother, claimed to know who the mastermind was.
Commenting on AfriForum’s involvement in the matter, Nel said: “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.”
Cele said earlier: ’’While six years have gone by, we remain confident that these arrests are the start of bringing closure for Senzo Meyiwa’s family, friends and fans as well as millions of South Africans.”
Meyiwa was murdered at his girlfriend singer Kelly Khumalo’s mother’s home.
Last week, it was reported the firearm used in the shooting was found at the Cleveland police station.
The former footballer’s family also alleged Longwe Twala, son of music mogul Chicco Twala, pulled the trigger after an alleged argument with his then girlfriend, Zandi Khumalo.
National police commissioner Khehla Sitole said the five people arrested include the man suspected of pulling the trigger. He said some of the suspects were already in police custody for other crimes.
“Of the five suspects which the minister has just outlined, one of them is the key suspect suspected of having pulled the trigger in the Senzo Meyiwa case.
’’This process is backed up by forensic evidence connecting the suspects to the scene as well as the weapon suspected to have been used,” said Sitole.
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