Former Bafana shotstopper Senzo Meyiwa’s murder lead investigating officer Bongani Gininda has told the court that musician Kelly Khumalo was implicated in the murder by the suspected assassins.
Gininda said this as the ongoing Meyiwa murder trial resumed on Monday at the Pretoria High Court following a short break.
Gininda returned to the stand as he was cross-examined by advocate Zandile Mshololo, who is representing accused number five.
Advocate Charles Mnisi has taken over as the legal representative for Muzi Sibiya. This comes after Sibiya’s lawyer, Thulani Mngomezulu, passed away in December.
Gininda dismissed rumours that Meyiwa was killed by Longwe Twala by mistake but that he was killed by intruders on October 26, 2014.
Mshololo, in her cross examination, began by asking Gininda about the getaway car that was allegedly used on the night of the incident.
However, Gininda said he cannot confirm that it was the alleged silver VW Polo mentioned in the statements because they do not have a registration number.
Mshololo then referred Gininda to his statement, where he referred to accused number five’s banking details. This is where he said he requested the banking details for the period of the commission of the crime.
“Based on my recollection, there was no electronic transaction of money from Kelly Khumalo for all the accused. Based on the evidence that we have, the money was paid in cash,” Gininda said.
“There is an amount of R30 000 that was paid at the Basotho Hostel after the murder of the deceased. There are no transactions between Kelly Khumalo and any of the accused.”
Regarding the contractual killing allegation, Gininda said there was an instruction from Khumalo to kill the deceased, which is found in the confessions of accused numbers one and two.
Confession is the only proof
However, according to Gininda, the confession alone is the only proof that Khumalo actually gave the order to carry out the hit.
After a short break, Mnisi, who is representing accused number three, asked questions relating to Simphiwe Buthelezi’s statement and why his statement was taken.
The statement, provided by Buthelezi, a witness, implicated Bongani Ntanzi as a known gun smuggler who supplied firearms and ammunition to hitmen.
Buthelezi, the convicted murderer, was scheduled to testify for the state in the trial but died in 2022. He also linked Ntanzi and another accused, Mthokoziseni Maphisa, to the murder of a certain union leader.
According to Buthelezi’s statement, Ntanzi and Maphisa were overheard discussing the successful killing of a union member in Marikana during a visit to Carltonville.
Buthelezi claimed that the person killed was a prominent and powerful individual.
Buthelezi and accused number three knew each other and are said to be from the same area in Nongoma, KwaZulu-Natal.
“Buthelezi’s name came up in the confession statements, and in corroborating what is contained in the confession statements, I then took his statement,” said Gininda.
“He was residing in Vosloorus when the incident happened but was later traced to Nongoma and bought to Johannesburg.”
Gindinda denies buying Buthelezi a phone
Mnisi said a witness whose identity has not been revealed would tell the court that he knows Buthelezi and that he was serving a sentence at a jail in KwaZulu-Natal.
Buthelezi was afflicted mentally and was placed on mental parole.
The court heard that while serving his sentence from home, investigators went to have a conversation with him but realised that his understanding was a challenge.
He was advised to come up to Pretoria so they could take a statement and was bought a cellphone.
“It is untrue that I went to Buthelezi’s house. It is a lie. I was not there even when the death certificate was fetched,” said Gininda.
“Secondly, it defies logic that you would want to drive a person who is unwell all the way to Pretoria for the purpose of taking a statement when you could have taken it where he lives.”
The presiding judge asked if Gininda had bought Buthelezi a cellphone, and he denied, claiming that Buthelezi already had a cellphone.
Mnisi will continue to cross-examine Gininda on Tuesday.
