Africa-Press – South-Africa. Almost eight years after the murder of Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa, the trial of the five men charged with killing him is expected to get under way in the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on Monday.
Muzikawukhulelwa S’Tembu Sibiya, Bongani Sandiso Ntanzi, Mthobisi Prince Mncube, Mthokoziseni Ziphozonke Maphisa and Fisokuhle Ntuli will stand trial for the murder of Meyiwa.
Senzo Meyiwa: Four of the accused want to bring special plea for being ‘wrongfully accused’
He was gunned down at the home of his girlfriend, singer Kelly Khumalo, in Vosloorus in October 2014.
Khumalo, her mother Gladness, her sister Zandile, Zandile’s boyfriend, Longwe Thwala, her two children, and Meyiwa’s friend, Tumelo Madlala, and Mthokozisi Thwala were in the house when gunmen allegedly entered the home and tried to rob them.
Meyiwa was the only person who was shot.
During their last court appearance in March, advocate Malesela Teffo – Sibiya, Ntanzi, Mncube and Maphisa’s new lawyer – told the court he intended to bring a special plea, arguing that his clients had been wrongfully accused.
News24 reported that Teffo previously had a watching brief of the matter for both the family of the accused and the Meyiwa family. Prosecutor advocate George Baloyi expressed concern about this creating a conflict of interest.
On the eve of their court appearance, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) released a statement after one of the men, Sibiya, was sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment in an unrelated attempted murder case.
Sibiya has a pending case against him for allegedly shooting his girlfriend in 2014 after she threatened to blow the whistle on his alleged involvement in Meyiwa’s murder.
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