Senzo Meyiwa trial: No one in the house called the police or an ambulance when soccer star was shot

NONE of the people who were in the house with slain Bafana Bafana captain Senzo Meyiwa called the police or emergency services after he was shot, the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria heard on Monday.

Colonel Lambertus Steyn, who is an analyst and investigating officer at the SAPS Cold Case Unit, was under cross-examination by Sipho Ramosepele, for accused number one and two.

Ramosepele asked Steyn whether there were calls made by the people in the house to the police or emergency services when the Orlando Pirates goalkeeper was gunned down.

In his response, Steyn said that, from the phone analysis, none of them called the police or the emergency number.

“I did check all the numbers of all the people and I couldn’t find any numbers of the police or not even 10111 or the ambulance,’’ he said.

Meyiwa was gunned down at his girlfriend Kelly Khumalo’s Vosloorus home in a suspected robbery on October 26, 2014.

The people who were in the house on the day Meyiwa was murdered were Kelly Khumalo and her younger sister, Zandile, their mother Ntombi Khumalo (MaKhumalo), Longwe Twala, Meyiwa’s friends Mthokozisi Thwala and Tumelo Madlala, Kelly’s then four-year-old son Christian, and Thingo, her daughter with Meyiwa.

Zandile Khumalo, who has already testified, told the court that she didn’t call for help using her cellphone because after the shooting she had a mind block and, instead, she ran to the neighbours for help.

On Friday, Steyn testified that there was evidence of cellphone contact between some of the accused and Kelly Khumalo.

The five murder accused are:

– Accused 1, Muzikawukhulelwa Sthemba Sibiya,

– Accused 2, Bongani Sandiso Ntanzi,

– Accused 3, Mthobisi Prince Ncube,

– Accused 4, Mthokoziseni Ziphozonke Maphisa, and,

– Accused 5, Fisokuhle Nkani Ntuli.

Steyn said accused number five, Ntuli, had made cellphone contact with Meyiwa’s girlfriend at the time, Kelly Khumalo, twice before the fatal shooting.

Ntuli had contacted Kelly twice, in August 2014 and in October 2014, about a fortnight before the goalkeeper was murdered.

Steyn has also found pictures of accused number three, Ncube, which showed he had dreadlocks a day before and on the day of Meyiwa's murder.

Meanwhile, Ramosepele told the court that his client, Sibiya, denied using the number that was mentioned in court.

Ramosepele also argued that Ntanzi said the number, which is said to be his, was only acquired in 2019 and he never had it in 2014.

Steyn said it could have been RICA'd using family details.

However, Ramosepele argued that Ntanzi was adamant that the SIM card was RICA'd under his name, as he had bought the phone at Dunns or Markham using his ID.

The trial continues.