In a shocking twist to the case of the murder of South African soccer star Senzo Meyiwa, evidence obtained under oath suggests that his killing was not a botched robbery but a planned “contractual assassination.”
The lead investigator in the case, Brig Bongani Gininda, revealed this information in an affidavit presented in court.
Meyiwa was tragically shot dead in October 2014 at the home of his then-girlfriend Kelly Khumalo in Vosloorus.
The incident occurred in the presence of Khumalo, her sister Zandile, her boyfriend Longwe Twala, their mother Ntombi Khumalo, and two friends of Meyiwa visiting from KwaZulu-Natal. Initially, the occupants claimed that two intruders had entered the house, demanding cellphones and money and that Meyiwa was killed during a botched robbery.
However, according to Brig Bongani Gininda’s affidavit, the evidence suggests a different story. The affidavit outlines the alleged roles of the five accused individuals, Mthobisi Mncube, Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya, Bongani Sandiso Ntanzi, Mthokoziseni Maphisa, and Sifisokuhle Nkani Ntuli, in the crime.
Gininda states that Sibiya boasted about his involvement in the killing to close associates in KwaZulu-Natal. These associates later disclosed the admissions made by Sibiya to the police, leading to his initial link to the murder.
Sibiya was further linked through circumstantial evidence when he disclosed and remarked about Meyiwa’s killing at a family gathering in Vosloorus before it was reported in the media.
Ntanzi, another accused individual, was also linked to the murder through certified sworn statements and an identikit compiled from descriptions provided by witnesses.
According to Gininda, Ntanzi was identified as the person with a hoodie who stood outside the house before the incident and fled afterwards.
Mncube, who was already serving a 35-year sentence for a murder committed in 2015, was identified as the gunman. The same firearm used in the murder for which Mncube was serving his sentence was found to have been used to kill Meyiwa.
Photos found on Mncube’s cellphone showed him wearing the same clothing witnesses identified on the day of the incident, carrying the revolver.
Maphisa allegedly confessed to a private individual about his involvement in the crime. Investigations revealed that his role was to guard against anyone who might enter the house from outside that night, and he was armed with a small firearm.
Ntuli, the fifth accused individual, has been linked to the silver-grey Polo allegedly used as a getaway car. Evidence also suggests that Ntuli drove the car with the suspects to the scene and back to a hostel, where he remained to guard the getaway vehicle.
According to Gininda, the investigation revealed that the cellphone taken from the house during the robbery was tracked by cellphone towers until the signal was lost in the area of the Vosloorus hostel. The cellphone was never recovered or switched on again.
The evidence presented in the affidavit points to a premeditated murder rather than a botched robbery.
The alleged roles of each accused individual and the connections established through witness statements, circumstantial evidence, and confessions paint a disturbing picture of a planned “contractual assassination.”
The trial of Mncube, Sibiya, Ntanzi, Maphisa, and Ntuli is ongoing, with the accused individuals pleading not guilty. As the case continues, the revelations from the lead investigator’s affidavit shed new light on the tragic murder of Senzo Meyiwa, a beloved soccer star.
