Senzo Meyiwa Murder: Top Investigator Claims a Contract Hit, Not Robbery

In a dramatic turn of events in the long-drawn-out Senzo Meyiwa murder trial, the scenario around the 2014 killing of the late South African football icon has been painted in a new, more sinister light. What was once positioned as a fatal robbery gone wrong has been outlined as a premeditated contract killing by the chief investigator of the case. During a crucial session at the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria, Brigadier Bongani Gininda, the head of the SAPS National Cold Case Unit, made the claim that Meyiwa’s tragic death was the result of a hit.

Providing his testimony under cross-examination, Gininda asserted with conviction that five individuals had been actively involved in the intended assassination of the former Bafana Bafana and Orlando Pirates goalkeeper. Details of this carefully orchestrated crime - with hitmen stationed strategically, including one outside the house to serve as a lookout - were part of the stunning narrative that unfolded from Gininda's statements in court.

As the lead investigator, Gininda had taken over the Meyiwa case in November 2018, breathing new life into a case that had been marred by confusion and conspiracy. His current assertions positioned the suspects, some of whom were notorious for their alleged involvement in the violent KwaZulu-Natal taxi wars, as contracted killers rather than opportunistic robbers. The specific roles of the accused, including Mthokoziseni Maphisa’s alleged duty of keeping vigil outside, were articulated in sharp relief against the backdrop of this grisly tableau.

The courtroom drama further intensified with the disclosure of the attempts at plea bargains and contested confessions by the accused. Accused number one, Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya, and number two, Bongani Ntanzi, claimed their confessions were extracted under duress through severe assault, an allegation staunchly denied by Gininda. He maintained that any confession made was of the accused's own free will, further commenting on Ntanzi’s negotiations for a plea deal that would have implicated his co-accused.

However, the legitimacy of Gininda's claims took a hit when the presiding judge, Ratha Mokgoatlheng, labeled the affidavit as hearsay, dismissing it from the pool of evidence. This rebuttal from the court showcases the see-saw battle between assertions made by law enforcement and the due process of the legal framework in sifting admissible evidence from claims.

Meyiwa met his untimely end in the residence of his girlfriend, singer Kelly Khumalo, in Vosloorus. The room was replete with friends and family on the fateful night of October 26, 2014, an ordinary evening that descended into tragedy. As this contentious trial continues, the nation remains gripped by the question: will justice for Senzo Meyiwa be served?

The case is set to resume with Brigadier Gininda still enduring the gauntlet of cross-examination. For the public and Meyiwa’s loved ones, the quest for answers perseveres, with every twist and turn in court followed closely in hopes of eventually uncovering the truth.