Senzo Meyiwa’s family plan to help one of the men arrested for his murder

DURBAN - The family of slain Bafana Bafana captain Senzo Meyiwa believe that the men arrested for the soccer star’s death are innocent and are now planning to assist one of the men arrested for the murder.

Senzo Meyiwa’s brother, Sfiso Meyiwa, said the family had always said that the men arrested and charged with Meyiwa’s murder were innocent.

It comes after Sinqobile Maphisa, the sister of one of the men arrested in connection with the 2014 murder, took to social media on Sunday claiming her brother’s innocence and apparent torture in prison.

Speaking to the Daily News after seeing the Facebook post by Maphisa, Sfiso said they were going to set in motion a series of events that would make “heads roll”.

“There is substantial evidence on the second docket of a defeating the ends of justice,” said Sfiso on Sunday when he was asked why the family had always believed the arrested men were innocent.

Meyiwa was shot and killed while at his girlfriend Kelly Khumalo’s home in Vosloorus in an alleged robbery on October 26, 2014. Six other people had been with him at the house at the time of the incident.

In October the second docket that Sfiso refers to was reported on by News24 that alleged that the gun used to kill Meyiwa had been found.

It said the man alleged to have pulled the trigger was serving a 30-year sentence in Prison for another murder.

The investigator’s report in this second docket which was handed to the NPA recommended that those who were in the house at the time of Meyiwa's murder be criminally charged as well for defeating the ends of justice.

Muzikawukhalelwa Sibiya, Bongani Sandiso Ntanzi, Mthobisi Prince Mncube, Mthokoziseni Ziphozonke Maphisa and Fisokuhle Nkani Ntuli face charges of murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, attempted murder, and being in possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition.

When they first appeared in October the men refused to get into the dock protesting their innocence.

On Sunday morning Maphisa’s sister Sinqobile wrote that in the first week after they appeared in court police came to her brother’s cell in Leeuwkop Prison.

These officers searched the cell he shared with more than eight others. She alleged that a number of cellphones were found however only Maphisa was punished by being assaulted.

She alleges that in the second week they returned, grabbed him and assaulted him, leaving him for dead but he survived.

Since then he has been continuously assaulted by these officials.

She alleges that accused Mncube has since been moved from Johannesburg Central Prison to another in Pretoria and he claims that he is being tortured into admitting to killing Meyiwa.

Sinqobile alleges that police “have been roaming the streets of Vosloorus pleading with people to testify in court promising them money”.

“Unbeknown to the police some of the people they approached are friends with my brother and they alerted me. What is it that these police are trying to hide, what about all those that were inside the house when Senzo was killed. If police have evidence like they claim then why does the case keep getting postponed, what more do they need to gather if they have said they have all the evidence,” asked Sinqobile in her post.

Sfiso said the family would be contacting AfriForum and others in a bid to help the Maphisa family.

“Right now I can’t divulge who the others are but heads will roll.”

Sinqobile said that it felt good to have the support of the Meyiwa family and she felt that justice would be served.

The Daily News has sent the spokesperson to the Minister of Police a query in relation to the allegations made as well as to the Department of Correctional Services in relation to the alleged activities in its prisons.

None had responded at the time of publishing.

- DAILY NEWS