Johannesburg - There’s still no breakthrough in the Senzo Meyiwa case, six months after acting national police commissioner Lieutenant-General Khomotso Phahlane assured Parliament the necessary attention was being given to the investigation into the murder two years ago this month.
During the April 2016/17 budget hearings in Parliament, Phahlane told the portfolio committee on police the case was at a sensitive stage and the police were doing everything in their power to solve it.
This week, portfolio committee on police chairperson Francois Beukman said: “Saps management has assured the committee on numerous occasions the police are doing everything in their power to solve the Meyiwa case. The acting commissioner gave an assurance that the necessary attention was being given to the matter.”
Beukman said the committee had highlighted the need for a turnaround strategy in the detective sector for more serious crimes to be solved, including the Meyiwa case.
Asked about the police's refusal to give updates on the case, Beukman said: “It’s critical the SAPS and the investigating officer give regular updates to the family of the deceased.
“The committee requested SAPS management provide it with a plan on how it intends to communicate the outcomes of investigations to complainants and victims of crime. The report is due on October 12. The committee will assess the plan and ensure it is fully implemented.”
He added that the acting national commissioner had also appointed new leaders in the detective programme on a national level. Asked if the committee believed the case would ever be solved, he said it was vital for the criminal-justice system that contact crimes like murders were solved but did not want to speculate.
“Meyiwa was shot on October 26, 2014 at his girlfriend Kelly Khumalo’s home in Vosloorus, Ekurhuleni. Early this year, police reconstructed the murder scene and identified a Panama hat found at the scene. It was reported the hat’s owner could shed light on what had happened. Recent reports also indicated the owner of the hat had been identified, sparking anticipation that an arrest was imminent.
Sunday Independent