South African News

Senzo Meyiwa murder accused jailed for 12 years for attempted murder in another case

Thobeka Ngema|Published

The four men accused of being behind Senzo Meyiwa’s murder. Picture: Supplied

ONE OF the suspects accused in the Senzo Meyiwa murder case was sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment for attempted murder in another case just days before the Meyiwa trial resumes.

Muzi Sibiya was sentenced by the Vosloorus Magistrate’s Court to 12 years’ direct imprisonment on Thursday, April 7, 2022 and the court also declared him unfit to possess a firearm.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said: “This is after he was convicted for the attempted murder of Ntombenhle Ndaba and Mfanelo Mbatha whom he attacked in a hail of bullets, but miraculously they survived.”

Senzo Meyiwa during a club soccer match in Johannesburg in this March, 2013 file photo. Picture: EPA/Barry Aldworth

“He was also accused of shooting his girlfriend in December, 2014 after she threatened to blow the whistle on him for his alleged involvement in the murder of Senzo Meyiwa, of which he had apparently confided in the girlfriend.”

The NPA welcomed the conviction and sentence.

It said it also believed that 12 years’ imprisonment fits the crime of attempted murder.

“It is significant that the convicted man is one of the accused in the case of the murder of Senzo Meyiwa, when the trial resumes within the next few days in another court on Monday, April 11,” the NPA added.

The former Orlando Pirates and Bafana Bafana goalkeeper was shot at the home of his girlfriend Kelly Khumalo’s mother in Vosloorus in October, 2014.

Sibiya’s sentencing was on the same day that Netflix started streaming its ’Senzo: Murder of a Soccer Star’ five-episode docu-series.

Since it aired, Senzo, Kelly (Khumalo), Chicco (Twala), Longwe (Twala) and Mandisa (Meyiwa) have been trending on Twitter.

Fisokuhle Ntuli, the man accused of killing six people, was convicted in the Esikhaleni Regional Court. Picture: SAPS

In January, hitman Fisokuhle Nkani Ntuli was sentenced to six life terms and 39 years’ imprisonment by the Esikhawini Regional Court.

In October 2021, Ntuli was convicted of six counts of murder, one count of attempted murder, two counts of possession of a prohibited firearm and two counts of unlawful possession of ammunition.

The murder convictions relate to killings that took place in the Nongoma district between 2015 and 2018. In April, 2015 Ntuli killed Bhutiza Sandisa Mahlobo; in May, 2016 he killed Goodwill Bheki Nyembe (an ANC ward councillor) and attempted to kill Nolwazi Ngomezulu. Ntuli killed Sibusiso Phiwayinkosi Zulu, Mcebisi Zulu and Sibusiso Elvis Zulu in January, 2017. He then killed Sphamandla Mthokozisi Zungu in August, 2018.

Then, while still national spokesperson, Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo said Ntuli was a person of interest in several other cases in Gauteng, many of which are murders, including that of Senzo Meyiwa.