Senzo Meyiwa murder accused implicate Kelly Khumalo
Confession statement from two of the accused in the murder of Senzo Meyiwa have alleged that Kelly Khumalo paid them R100 000.
The five men accused of killing former Bafana Bafana captain Senzo Meyiwa were allegedly paid R100 000 to do the job.
This was revealed in accused 1 Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya’s confession statement read at the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on Friday, 15 March.
HITMEN ALLEGEDLY PAID R100 000 TO KILL SENZO MEYIWA
Following a five-month long trial within a trial which looked into the admissibility of confessions and pointing out by accused 1 and 2, Judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng ruled that the confessions are admissible.
Sibiya, Ntanzi along with Mthobisi Prince Mncube, Mthokoziseni Maphisa and Fisokuhle Nkani Ntuli are on trial for the murder of Meyiwa.
The men face charges of premeditated murder, attempted murder, robbery with aggravated circumstances, possession of firearms without a licence, and possession of ammunition. All five men pleaded not guilty.
On Friday, 15 March, the police officers who took down accused 1 Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya and accused 2 Bongani Ntanzi’s statements testified in court.
Lieutenant Colonel Solomon Raphadu who took down Ntanzi’s confession statement in June 2020 revealed that Kelly Khumalo was the mastermind. It also implicated all the other accused and the their roles in the execution of the murder.
In his confession, Ntanzi said he was asked to assist in the execution of the murder and that Khumalo was going to pay. He further described how Meyiwa was killed during a scuffle. Witnesses who have testified in court also said that two intruders entered the house and Meyiwa was involved in a scuffle with a taller one.
After Raphadu wrapped up his testimony, Colonel Mhlanganyelwa Mbotho who took down Sibiya’s statement also took to the witness stand.
In his confession statement, Sibiya also implicated Khumalo as the mastermind and revealed that they charged R100 000 for their service.
Sibiya also revealed that they went to consult a traditional healer in Katlehong before they killed Meyiwa. They paid him R50 and later R5000.
The alleged hitman was paid R30 000 for his role.
[WATCH] State witness Colonel Mhlanganyelwa Mbotho reading accused number one Muzi Sibiya’s confession statement. According to the statement, an amount of R100 000 was paid for the hit. #SenzoMeyiwaTrial #Newzroom405 pic.twitter.com/8pepJmjPZx
— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) March 15, 2024
AFRO-POP SINGER LINKED TO A WELL-KNOWN HITMAN
Meanwhile in January this year, lead investigator Brigadier Bongani Gininda revealed that the Asine hitmaker ordered the hit on Senzo Meyiwa. Gininda was under cross-examination in the trial within the trial.
In July 2022, SAPS officer Colonel Lambertus Steyn testified that Ntuli called Khumalo on two occasions on 2 August 2014 and 15 October 2014. The first call was for close to two minutes, and the other was one and a half minutes.
Ntuli is a well-known hitman linked to six murders in KwaZulu-Natal and was sentenced to six life terms and 39 years in January 2022.