Johannesburg - Police have refused to be drawn into whether they believed that the people who witnessed Orlando Pirates goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa’s murder were honest in their statements.
Police are yet to make a breakthrough in the case despite the fact that six adults were in the house when Meyiwa was shot dead.
Asked whether the people present that night had been helpful and whether they believed the information they provided to the police was truthful, police spokesman General Solomon Makgale refused to comment.
“We will address this question at the appropriate time,” he said without elaborating.
Meyiwa was shot dead on October 26 last year at the home of his pop star girlfriend and the mother of his child, Kelly Khumalo. In the house at the time was Khumalo, her mother Ntombi, younger sister Zandi and Zandi’s boyfriend Longwe Twala, who is musician Chicco Twala’s son.
Two of Senzo’s friends and Khumalo’s son, who she had with imprisoned hip hop star Molemo “Jub Jub” Maarohanye, were also present.
After Meyiwa’s shooting, the six adults who were in the house provided statements to the police which they used to compile an identikit.
The SAPS announced the establishment of a special multidisciplinary team of officers to look into the murder and a R100 000 reward offer was offered. It was later increased to R250 000.
Zamokuhle Mbatha was later arrested and charged with Meyiwa’s murder.
The courts declined to prosecute him due to a lack of evidence.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesman Nathi Mncube said at the time that there were inconsistencies in the docket, what happened at the identity parade and the forensic evidence from the scene.
He did not elaborate on what had taken place at the identity parade.
Six months later, Meyiwa’s killers still roam the streets and Mbatha has instituted an illegal arrest lawsuit against Minister of Police Nathi Nhleko.
Police sources said Mbatha’s civil claim had resulted in slowing down the investigation.
They said officers tasked with getting to the bottom of what happened that fateful night have been told to analyse every piece of information they received and ensure there was proof before making any arrest to avoid a repetition of what happened with Mbatha.
“They are scared of another civil lawsuit of unlawful arrest. They have been given leads but they have to confirm them first. Right now they have no leads, they have nothing new,” the source said.
Makgale said: “Each investigation differs, given its circumstances. Sometimes it is possible to arrest within a matter of days, sometimes months and sometimes years.”
The Star