Johannesburg - Police had not reached a dead-end in the investigations into the murder of Bafana Bafana and Orlando Pirates captain, Senzo Meyiwa, the South African Police Service said on Tuesday.
“Management of the police is extremely concerned about negative media reports insinuating that the case is not being treated as a priority and that the police have reached a dead-end in their investigations. This is not the case at all,” spokesman Lieutenant-General Solomon Makgale said.
“We would like to assure the nation that we are working extremely hard on this case and that we will not rest until those who killed Senzo are brought to justice.”
Makgale added that SAPS noted media reports over the weekend regarding Meyiwa and his life insurance payout.
He confirmed that Meyiwa’s father, Sam, had approached the investigators and said he was upset with the police because the insurance company would not pay out until the investigation had been completed.
“We informed him that the payout can still take place although the investigation is not complete. The only time the payout could be delayed due to a pending investigation is if the police believed that there was foul play involving life insurance money,” said Makgale.
“This is not the case in this murder investigation. Senzo’s father therefore appears to have been misled.”
Meyiwa was shot dead on October 26, in Vosloorus, Ekurhuleni, while visiting his girlfriend, actress Kelly Khumalo. Two men allegedly entered the house demanding cellphones. They shot Meyiwa and fled. He was buried at the Heroes Acre cemetery in Chesterville, Durban in November.
On Tuesday, Makgale said that the investigators had appealed to Meyiwa’s father on several occasions not to release details of the investigation to the public.
“This is not helping at all, because we are now faced with a situation where one of the possible suspects has gone underground after hearing through Senzo’s father that the police were looking for him,” he said.
Makgale said that the SAPS assembled a “high-level and well-resourced” team under the guidance of Divisional Commissioner for Detective Services Lieutenant General Vinesh Moonoo, and Gauteng Deputy Provincial Commissioner for Detectives Major General Vincent Leshabane, with Brigadier Johan Ndlovu and Colonel Moabi Modise who were coordinating at an operational level.
A detailed investigation plan was compiled and it is being meticulously implemented, he said.
“We would like the media to give us the space to conduct a thorough investigation. Some investigations are not simple and straightforward. They take twists and turns which require meticulous follow-up by the police. This is one such investigation,” Makgale said.
“We want to solve this crime and we are doing everything possible in that regard. We will provide an update as and when we reach a stage when it is possible to do so.”
Makgale said seven people, led by a captain, were deployed on a full-time basis to the case. The team comprised detectives, the Hawks, Crime Intelligence and a forensic psychologist. They are supported by a track-and-tracing team of 40 members who are called in when needed while the ballistics part of the investigation was being done by Major Chris Mangena, said Makgale.
He said that the Forensic Services Division had allocated a dedicated team which would process all the material of evidential value so that there were no delays and a number of members of the special task team investigating Radovan Krecjir had also been called in to assist.
He said any firearm which was recovered during the police operation, as well as through an investigation, was tested to check if it was used in the murder of Meyiwa and police had collected close to 110 documents, including the statements of 86 possible witnesses.
“Some of the individuals had to be re-interviewed several times as new information came to light. The people who were in the house at the time of the incident are cooperating fully with the investigation. We are also following up on leads provided by other witnesses who were outside the house at the time of the incident,” he said.
Makgale said the team had been to various parts of South African including Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Western Cape, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, following up on close to a 100 leads received through Crime Stop, police stations, government and soccer officials. Almost 30 people had already been questioned, he said.
“Given the heightened media attention, information peddlers are also very active, spreading cooked up stories about who killed Senzo. Other people take what is in the media, spice it up and approach us with stories.
He said Serame George Shabalala from Garankuwa was arrested for fraud after he allegedly phoned Khumalo’s friends and told them she was arrested. He claimed to be a police officer who wanted R3 000 to be deposited at a supermarket money market for bail.
Makgale said he was not linked to Meyiwa’s murder but was arrested and found in possession of bank cards, credit cards, cellphones, sim cards and laptops. He appeared last week at Randburg court and was still in custody.
A case of intimidation was opened and was being investigated after Sam Meyiwa’s life was threatened when an unknown person called the Bhekithemba police station in Umlazi claiming someone wanted to hire him to kill Meyiwa.
Makgale said the person provided three cellphone numbers but one was traced to an elderly man in Mamelodi and two others to owners of a security company in Pretoria.
“They could not be linked to the allegation. A case of intimidation has been opened and investigations are under way to try to determine who called the police station,” he said.
ANA