Johannesburg - A document erroneously sent to the media by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) puts singer Kelly Khumalo at the front and centre of the Senzo Meyiwa murder case.
The document was released to the media along with the charge sheet for the case of the five suspects who were arrested, linked with the murder of the former Orlando Pirates and Bafana Bafana player.
The five suspects – Muzikawulahlelwa Sibiya, Bongani Ntanzi, Mthobisi Mncube, Mthokosenzi Maphisa and Sifikuhlenhle Nkani Ntuli – have been charged with murder, attempted murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, possession of unlawful firearm and possession of unlawful ammunition.
They were arrested on the sixth anniversary of Meyiwa’s death.
The document that was erroneously distributed by the NPA forms part of the indictment for the case.
It shows Colonel Bongani Gininda of the SAPS’s cold case unit instructing the investigating officer to outline at least 10 tasks linked with the Meyiwa murder investigation, of which two of the items on the document concern the musician.
Gininda requests statements or affidavits relating to how the police obtained confessions from two people. It also requests cellphone communication between the accused before, during and after the commission of the crime, cell tower locations and the automatic vehicle locations of a VW Polo believed to have been used as an escape car during the Meyiwa murder in Vosloorus.
Pertaining to Khumalo, the document requests for the singer’s cellphone records.
“Cellphone records of Ms Khumalo indicating her communication with the accused must be obtained, as previously indicated,” it says.
The document also calls on more information about a particular loan that may have been taken to fund the murder of the goalkeeper.
“It was previously mentioned that there was a lender who advanced money to Ms Khumalo, ostensibly to pay hitmen and that this lender was pestering her for the repayment of this loan.
“The statement of such a lender must be obtained,” says the document.
The document appears to add credence to remarks by advocate Gerrie Nel and the Meyiwa family on Monday, where they said there was a hit on his life.
Nel and the Meyiwa family called for the arrest of the ’’mastermind’’ behind the Meyiwa murder, while Police Minister Bheki Cele, national police commissioner General Khehla Sitole and the NPA’s Sipho Ngwema have all promised further arrests and prosecutions in the murder.
Ngwema said on Tuesday the document was released to the media by mistake.
“Everything will unfold in court, it is still premature to go into the next stage.
“When a decision was made by the director of public prosecutions, there were a number of instructions that the investigating team had to follow up on and we will wait for the outcome of those follow ups,” he said.
Ngwema confirmed the document was authentic and said it was part of internal communication between the police investigating team and the prosecution said it was not meant to be in the public domain.
IOL