A Meyiwa family relative has spoken out about the death of the father of football star, Senzo Meyiwa, saying his health suffered after the footballer was killed.
"I can say unequivocally that the stress Mr [Sam] Meyiwa suffered due to lack of progress in terms of arresting the people who caused the death [of Senzo] was a huge contributor to his stroke. There were instances where he was not himself because of the pain and the trauma he went through," Senzo's cousin, Siyabonga Meyiwa, said on Tuesday.
He was speaking from the Meyiwa family home where Police Minister Bheki Cele was due to visit following Sam's death on Monday.
Siyabonga said the family had been waiting for "definitive answers for quite a while" on the former Bafana Bafana and Orlando Pirates star's death.
"People sometimes say the wheels of justice move slowly. We are still hopeful that the minister will assist in this instance that the perpetrators of this crime are caught and brought to book. This has gone on for too long without an arrest being made."
He said that Sam was always heartbroken about the death of his son.
"Every time we tried to assist, he reminded us that we could never fill the pain he felt as a father… He equated Senzo to a flower that was taken too early."
Siyabonga said his cousin Senzo was a national hero.
"For the crime to be unattended caused a tremendous level of pain and it definitely had an effect on Sam."
Messages of support and condolences poured in from across South Africa after the goalkeeper's father died on Monday in his Umlazi home.
It was his second stroke.
Cele is due to meet with the family later on Tuesday.
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