Despite being a person of interest in the murder case of Bafana Bafana goalie Senzo Meyiwa, singer Kelly Khumalo will not be called in to testify.
This was revealed by state prosecutor, Advocate George Baloyi, on Wednesday during the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial. He said this during the cross examination of the lead investigator in the case, brigadier Bongani Gininda.
Gininda told the Pretoria High court on Wednesday that he had applied for the warrant of arrest for Khumalo. This was based on the evidence that was before him.
Asked by the defence counsel for accused number four in the case, advocate Zithulele Nxumalo, why Khumalo wanted Meyiwa dead. Gininda said he dealt with that aspect. He indicated that the motive behind Kelly Khumalo wanting Senzo dead is being investigated.
‘Khumalo told her sister Zandi, that she wanted to get rid of Meyiwa’
Previously, Gininda had informed the court that Khumalo told her sister Zandi, that she wanted to get rid of Meyiwa.
“I am emotionally drained and I feel Senzo brought a dark cloud. And I hate myself for not succeeding in getting rid of him,” said Gininda, reading the messages.
“It has been been 10 years since Meyiwa was killed and the motive is still under investigation?” Nxumalo asked.
The investigator accused Nxumalo of trying to give an impression that he had been with the case since 2014. Even though he had joined in six years ago.
Nxumalo then questioned how it has been six years since he took over and the investigation is still underway.
To Gininda’s rescue, advocate Baloyi rose and claimed that the question was an unfair question.
Khumalo was also a complainant in the matter
“Is there any chain that shows that the money that paid the accused came from Kelly Khumalo,” Nxumalo asked.
“There is no evidence that says the money came from Kelly Khumalo’s account. The evidence shows that the money was paid in cash.”
Nxumalo said the investigation is flawed. This because Gininda testified that Khumalo was the mastermind behind Meyiwa’s murder. But the indictment suggests that she is a complainant in this matter. Also because she lost her cellphone during the robbery.
“That suggestion is baseless and misleading. The defence has the copy of the docket and has seen what evidence we have collected. So to say it is flawed is completely misleading. The evidence speaks for itself,” said Gininda.
“Is Miss Kelly Khumalo going to come to this court and testify, do you know?” asked Nxumalo.
State is the one to decide which witness to call
Baloyi interjected, saying it is the discretion of the state to decide which witness to call. And at the end of the state’s case the state will make all the witnesses that have not been called, available to the defence.
“We have said on several occasions that we are not going to call miss kelly khumalo. If he wants us to repeat it, we are not going to call her.”
