Publications
- A trial date has been set for April 2022 in the Senzo Meyiwa murder case
- The five accused appeared in court on Monday.
- One of the men was last week found guilty of murdering six people in KwaZulu-Natal.
The trial of five men accused of the murder of former Orlando Pirates and Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa will start in April next year.
On Monday, Muzikawukhulelwa S’Tembu Sibiya, Bongani Sandiso Ntanzi, Mthobisi Prince Mncube, Mthokoziseni Ziphozonke Maphisa, and Sifisokuhle Sifiso Nkani Ntuli made a brief appearance in the Pretoria High Court sitting in Palm Ridge where it was revealed that the matter is ready for trial.
Meyiwa was at his girlfriend songstress Kelly Khumalo's house in October 2014 when unknown men entered the Vosloorus house and shot him dead.
One person was arrested but later released due to lack of evidence, and the case went cold as no information was forthcoming.
A breakthrough, however, was announced by Police Minister Bheki Cele last year after the accused were arrested on 26 October, the day which marked six years since Meyiwa was killed. Ntanzi is alleged to have been the one who pulled the trigger.
READ | Notorious KZN hitman who killed ANC councillor also an accused in Senzo Meyiwa murder case
During the men's appearance on Monday, the prosecutor, advocate George Baloyi, said the State had met with all the defence lawyers, except for Ntuli’s lawyer, on 8 October to reach certain agreements. Baloyi said they had agreed to hand over statements from nine witnesses that had been withheld for security reasons, and that they would be handing them over six weeks before the trial date.
Meanwhile, last week, Ntuli appeared in a KwaZulu Natal court and was found guilty of the murders of six people, including an ANC ward councillor.
Ntuli’s advocate Zandile Mshololo approached the court with a request to have his client moved out of Kokstad Supermax prison.
According to Mshololo, Ntuli was moved from Qalakabusha Prison in northern KwaZulu-Natal to Kokstad without any official notice or order.
However, Baloyi said he was told that there was a specific reason why he was ordered to be detained at C Max prison in Kokstad.
"I don’t think we can change it without investigating why the detention centre changed. It is a matter we will have to investigate," he Baloyi.
Acting Judge Acting judge Carla Veenendaal said that there was very little she could do once a person is under the supervision of the Department of Correctional Services.
The men will be back in court on 11 April where the trial was expected to start.
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