Johannesburg - One chapter in the drawn-out Orlando Pirates captain Senzo Meyiwa saga was closed on Wednesday, when his insurance policy was paid out to his family and his club.
But Meyiwa’s father, Sam, and Irvin Khoza, the chairman of the Premier Soccer League (PSL) and Pirates, want the person who killed Meyiwa brought to justice.
Khoza said on Wednesday that a R4 million payout had been made, with half of it going to his family in the form of a guardian trust that was set up because Meyiwa didn’t have a will. That trust will see his three children benefit, as well as all those with a “deserved claim”. The other half will go to his club, Pirates, as the rules of the policy dictate.
“All death and permanent disability payments are payable in equal proportion to the affected person and to his registered club and controlling body, after having deducted all expenses or costs paid by any part on behalf of such an event of an affected person,” the rules of the policy read.
Meyiwa’s father had repeatedly expressed his frustration with the protracted delays in the payout of his son’s life insurance policy, as investigations into his murder dragged on. Sam said the family were struggling to cope with the financial burden of caring for Senzo’s young family.
Meyiwa’s insurance policy was, like other professional players in the country, administered by the PSL and underwritten by Delphisure Group Insurance.
Khoza said Pirates would not deduct any expenses for organising Meyiwa’s funeral. “What’s important for me isn’t the money, what’s important to me is that the murder of Senzo must be solved.
“It’s important for justice to be seen in this country. It’s important for instilling confidence that a man with such a high profile - national team captain and goalkeeper of Pirates - if his murder is not solved, how much more (does it take) for a man in obscurity? This country deserves better.”
Sam and the mother of Senzo’s second child, Mandisa Mkhize, flanked Khoza when he made the announcement at the PSL headquarters in Parktown.
Sam said he was happy that the Hawks had since taken over the investigation, after the SAPS apparently failed to solve the case.
“It hurts that it has taken this long; more than a year has passed without any concrete action taken on the perpetrators,” he said.
“I have been constantly promised that they will find his killers, but nothing has happened. There was a time when they (SAPS) would go for six months without updating me on developments.
“But now that the Hawks have taken over, it looks like there will be some improvement. The biggest sign that things were moving forward was that after they took over, they quickly assembled those who were there when Senzo was killed to return to where they were when it happened.
“If these people are found, it would be better on my heart. We as a family would finally find closure.”
Hawks spokesman Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi on Wednesday said investigations were continuing. “We are in contact with the family and giving them regular updates,” he said.
How PSL players’ insurance policies work
Every professional player, whether in the Premier Division or the National First Division, is insured by the club they play for.
Orlando Pirates took out the policy for Meyiwa and paid the premiums. That’s why the payment of Meyiwa’s policy was made to the PSL in November last year.
The PSL then distributed the money to the club, which in turn gave the other half to Meyiwa’s family through the guardian trust that has been set up. Attorney Raymond Hack is its executor. This payment is not part of Meyiwa’s estate.
“All death and permanent disability payments are payable in equal proportions to the affected persons and to his registered club, the controlling body, after having deducted all the expenses and costs paid by any party on behalf of such events or affected person.
“Such deductions shall be determined by Delphisure (Group Insurance Brokers) and shall never exceed 5 percent of the total claim. All deaths benefits due to the affected party shall be paid to the spouse. If no spouse, then payable to all children of the deceased on known pro-rata basis and where familiarity has been proven to the satisfaction of the insurer within 90 days of death,” the rule of the insurance policy reads.
The same applies to Pirates defender Siyabonga Sangweni, who was recently forced into early retirement because of an injury.
The Star