Sifiso Meyiwa, who is the late Senzo Meyiwa’s brother, said the family would do everything to block the release of a second documentary pn Senzo’s death as the family was not informed about it. Picture: Nqobile Mbonambi/African News Agency (ANA)
A LEGAL showdown is looming between the producers of a second documentary on Senzo Meyiwa’s murder and family members of the slain Bafana Bafana goalkeeper.
The documentary, according to the producers, will reveal the discussion between Senzo’s mother and Chicco Twala.
The Twala and Meyiwa families left South Africans guessing last week when the media reported that Twala had surprisingly shown up in uMlazi to see the Meyiwas, but to date both the Meyiwas and the Twalas have not revealed the purpose of the visit and the discussion between them.
Senzo’s brother, Sifiso Meyiwa, has vowed to block the release of the documentary, arguing that the family was not informed of it. He said although Twala visited his family last week, the family knew nothing about the documentary and learnt of it on social media.
Sifiso said the family was shocked and angered by one of the producers, Zakhele Shiba, for producing such work without the family’s knowledge and approval.
“I came to know about this when someone sent me the poster talking about the documentary and soon got a call from Shiba. When I asked him, he said he had told me about it and I told him that at no stage had we discussed the documentary with him,” said Sifiso.
“So we are not going to allow any documentary on Senzo without our approval. People have seen an opportunity to make money out of my brother’s death. Shiba must come here and ask for permission then tell us how much the family would get out of that documentary.”
Sifiso said they still had issues with the money his mother received from Netflix and would not allow another documentary without a proper explanation of how the family would benefit from it. Meyiwa refused to give details of his mother’s discussion with Twala, but it is believed it was around Twala’s son Longwe, who was also in the house when Senzo was killed.
Shiba said the documentary work had been completed and it would be released to the public soon. He said he was not bothered by what the Meyiwa family was saying and said the documentary would be released whether the Meyiwas want it or not.
He said the work would be released online. Shiba added that people who were eager to know why Twala visited the Meyiwas would know in a few days.
He said the documentary, “Senzo: The Second Docket”, will reveal the content of Twala’s discussion with Senzo’s mother as well as comments from the people who were in the house in Vosloorus on the fateful night in 2014 when Senzo was killed.
Shiba, a former journalist, said he organised a meeting between Senzo’s mother and Twala because he wanted to do a documentary, adding that it was the reason both parties refused to reveal what was discussed because it would be in a documentary.
He said some of the people who were in the house when Senzo was shot had agreed to speak about what happened, but some were reluctant, arguing that the matter was in court.
“I organised the meeting and I took Twala to the Meyiwas to meet Senzo’s mother as part of documentary production. All I can say is that Mzansi will know everything very soon,” said Shiba.
The second docket issue is still the bone of contention in the Pretoria High Court between the State and defence where the trial of the five men accused of killing Senzo continues.
The docket, which the court had not accepted into record, recommended the charging of all people who were in the house where Senzo was killed.
The house belonged to the family of Senzo’s then girlfriend, the singer Kelly Khumalo. Among the people who were in the house were Senzo’s friends Mthokozisi Twala and Tumelo Madlala, who finished his testimony last week. The others were Longwe, Kelly and her sister Zandi Khumalo and their mother.