Kelly Khumalo had calls with murder-accused hours before Senzo Meyiwa was killed, court hears

The five accused of murdering South African soccer star Senzo Meyiwa appear in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria. File Picture: Oupa Mokoena / Independent Newspapers

The five accused of murdering South African soccer star Senzo Meyiwa appear in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria. File Picture: Oupa Mokoena / Independent Newspapers

Published Mar 18, 2024

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More damning allegations have been revealed against singer Kelly Khumalo regarding her involvement in masterminding the murder of Bafana Bafana captain Senzo Meyiwa.

On Monday, the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria listened to magistrate Vivian Cronje who took down a confession statement from accused two, Bongani Sandiso Ntanzi.

The statement was taken on June 24 2020, a week after his arrest.

This was a second confession statement that was read in court which Ntanzi made following his arrest.

The first statement was read on Friday by Lieutenant Colonel Solomon Raphadu, who took Ntanzi’s confession on June 19, 2020 in Moroka.

Magistrate Cronje said Ntanzi was happy to confess, but he mentioned that he was scared of the other accused as he was threatened after the murder and he wanted protection.

Ntanzi implicated, Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya, Mthobisi Prince Mncube, Mthokoziseni Ziphozonke Maphisa, and Fisokuhle Ntuli as the men he went with to the Khumalo house in Vosloorus to commit the murder.

All accused have pleaded not guilty.

Ntanzi said he was in Carltonville when he was called by Ntuli to come to Basotho hostel in Vosloorus as there was a “job” to be done that evening on October 26 2014.

Upon his arrival, he said they held a meeting and discussed how they will carry out a hit on Meyiwa.

“Carlos (Mncube) and Maphisa called Kelly Khumalo. They told her they were all right. We all then left in the Polo Vivo. It was myself, Carlos, Mthokoziseni, Sifiso and Muzi,” he said.

Ntanzi added that on their way to Khumalo’s house, they got two more guns from a man called Simphiwe.

As they were travelling, he said Mncube received a call from Khumalo and he kept referring to her as “sistas”.

He said this call was just to confirm whether they were coming.

According to Ntanzi’s confession statement, Ntuli was the driver, Sibiya was tasked to lookout, while Maphisa stood by the window outside the house.

Meanwhile, him and Mncube entered the house.

After entering the house, he said Mncube pulled out his gun and then ordered everyone to lie down and demanded phones and money.

“Carlos then gave me a phone. I had a plastic bag with me and there was a plastic container on the table with money. Carlos gave me the container which I put in the plastic bag.

“I think Carlos was told where whatever he was looking for was. Carlos was about to open something when Senzo stood up. There was a scuffle between him and Carlos. It appeared as if he wanted to prevent Carlos from taking whatever he wanted to take.

“Kelly Khumalo was the one who directed Carlos where the thing was which he wanted to take,” read the confession.

Meyiwa was fatally shot during the scuffle with Mncube. Two shots were fired and one shot hit him on the chest and exited his back.

Ntanzi said after the shots were fired, he ran back to the getaway car and everyone else followed and they drove off.

He said in the car, Mncube kept threatening him and told him that if he tells anyone, he will come for him.

“He also said if he hears anything he will kill me. He doesn't know my parental home but there are people who know the home and they will show him,” he said.

He said he was paid R45,000 in two instalments, he was given R15,000 the same evening and he was later given R30,000.

Ntanzi said he was shaken by the incident and when he arrived in Carltonville, he changed his cellphone number to avoid getting more threats from the other accused.

Previously, Colonel Lambertus Steyn, who is an analyst at the Cold Case Unit, testified and told the court that cellphone records showed Khumalo and accused five, Ntuli, were in contact on October 15, 2014, at 5.33pm in a 98 second phone call.

This was at least 11 days before the Meyiwa murder was committed.

They were also in contact on Kelly Khumalo's 082 704 **** number on August 2, 2014, at 10.40pm, for 110 seconds.

Steyn told the court she had received both calls in Kimberley and rural Limpopo, cellphone records showed. Ntuli had used his 073 305 **** number to make the calls.

Steyn found eight cellphone and landline numbers linked to Khumalo and that her 082 704 **** number, which had been in contact with Ntuli, was also registered in her name on TrueCaller and on RICA.

The trial continues on Wednesday.

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