Senzo Meyiwa Case Trial

The trial of the five individuals accused of murdering former Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa commenced in the High Court in Pretoria on Monday, eight years after his untimely death. Here is a timeline of events from the day Meyiwa was fatally shot in Vosloorus in 2014 to the arrest of the alleged perpetrators and their subsequent trial in 2022.

On October 26, 2014, Senzo Meyiwa was visiting his then-girlfriend and mother of his child, singer Kelly Khumalo, in Vosloorus, Gauteng when he was killed. Several people were present in the house that day, including Meyiwa, Kelly, her younger sister Zandi, their mother Ntombi Khumalo, Longwe Twala, Meyiwa's friends Mthokozisi Thwala and Tumelo Madlala, and Kelly's children, Christian and Thingo.

On October 28, 2014, the police released identikits of the two suspects believed to be involved in Meyiwa's murder, offering a reward of up to R250,000 for information leading to their arrest and conviction.

On October 31, 2014, a 27-year-old resident of Vosloorus named Zamokuhle Mbatha, known to the Khumalo family, was arrested in connection with the murder. However, charges against him were later withdrawn due to lack of evidence, and he sued the State for compensation.

From 2015 to 2019, Samuel Meyiwa, Senzo's father, made continuous pleas in the media for help in catching his son's killers and sought assistance from the police.

In 2019, after five years of seeking justice, Samuel Meyiwa passed away, having suffered a stroke partly due to the stress of seeking justice for his son.

In 2020, a gun positively linked to Meyiwa's murder was found at a police station and was also linked to the murder of a taxi boss. A suspect was convicted of the taxi boss's murder.

In October 2020, Police Minister Bheki Cele announced the arrest of five suspects in connection with Meyiwa's murder, and they subsequently appeared in court.

In 2021, a document mistakenly released to the media by the National Prosecuting Authority implicated singer Kelly Khumalo in the Meyiwa murder case.

The trial began on April 11, 2022, but faced delays as one of the accused's lawyers requested more time for consultation.

The trial continues with advocate Malesela Teffo representing the accused, and the court deals with various issues leading up to the trial.

March 17, 2022: Four individuals, namely Muzikawukhulelwa Sthemba Sibiya (34), Bongani Sandiso Ntanzi (30), Mthobisi Prince Ncube (36), and Mthokoziseni Ziphozonke Maphisa (35), appeared at the Pretoria High Court. They informed the judge of their decision to dismiss their previous lawyer and appointed advocate Malesela Teffo to represent them during the upcoming trial. Advocate Teffo also urged the court to reopen the case and arrest and charge all those present on the night Senzo was murdered for perjury. However, the fifth accused, Sifisokuhle Nkani Ntuli, was absent from the court proceedings.

April 7, 2022: Muzikawukhulelwa Sthemba Sibiya (34) received a 12-year prison sentence for attempted murder in a separate case, just days before the Meyiwa trial was set to resume. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) revealed that he was convicted for attempting to murder Ntombenhle Ndaba and Mfanelo Mbatha in a hail of bullets, but both victims miraculously survived. Additionally, he faced accusations of shooting his girlfriend in December 2014, allegedly due to her threat of exposing his involvement in the murder of Senzo Meyiwa, to which he had purportedly confessed to his girlfriend.

April 11, 2022: The trial encountered a shaky start as Judge Tshifhiwa Maumela postponed the proceedings to the following Tuesday. The decision came after advocate Zandile Mshololo, representing Sifisokuhle Nkani Ntuli, raised concerns about inadequate time to consult with her client.