The high-profile murder trial of Senzo Meyiwa once again thrusts singer Kelly Khumalo into the spotlight, with legal experts weighing in on the possibility of her facing charges in court.
During the proceedings at the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on Friday, March 15, attention focused on the written confession statements of two of the five men accused of Meyiwa's murder: Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya and Bongani Ntanzi. These statements marked a significant development in the nearly decade-long Meyiwa murder case that has captivated the nation.
In his confession, Sibiya claimed that the accused were paid R100,000 to carry out the alleged hit on the 27-year-old Orlando Pirates and Bafana Bafana goalkeeper and captain. He implicated Kelly as the alleged "mastermind" behind the plot to kill her then-boyfriend and the father of her child.
The court also heard that Kelly allegedly made contact with Sibiya just hours before Meyiwa was fatally shot on October 26, 2014, at the home of Kelly's mother, Ntombi, in Vosloorus, east of Johannesburg.
Ntanzi's confession substantiated Sibiya's claims, stating, "I was briefed that the person who was going to be eliminated was Senzo Meyiwa, and the matter was initiated by Kelly Khumalo, who was going to make payment for the whole job."
The latest evidence against Kelly comes after Judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng recently ruled that the confession statements were given voluntarily. However, the accused had previously argued in court that they were coerced and subjected to violence to obtain the confessions. This led to a lengthy trial-within-a-trial that lasted five months to determine the admissibility of the confessions.
Earlier in August 2023, Kelly's cellphone records took center stage in court when it was revealed that she had received calls from one of the accused, convicted hitman Fisokuhle Nkani Ntuli, several days before Meyiwa's murder. However, the veracity of the evidence regarding the interchangeability of phone numbers used by Ntuli was not verified by Rica, as admitted by data analyst Colonel Lambertus Steyn under cross-examination.
Steyn also testified that during the analysis of Kelly's phone activity, he discovered evidence of a device boot-up occurring on October 27, 2014, at approximately 1:30 am, a few hours after Meyiwa's death. According to Steyn, this suggested that some or all of the phone's memory had been wiped.
Legal expert Ulrich Roux expressed to eNCA that if additional evidence emerges and is officially documented, Kelly could potentially face arrest.
The recent confessions have sparked mixed reactions on social media. Some are skeptical of the validity of the confessions, while others argue that the state needs to establish their credibility beyond a reasonable doubt before considering any arrests.
@ke Rakgadi: “Kelly isn’t my favorite person on this earth but here she is being thrown under the bus… I don’t believe these confessions.”
@Kabelo Amon: “State needs to prove beyond reasonable doubt that those confessions are valid and anyway, Kelly won’t just get arrested because of being linked because of a confession.”
@Khelelo Rob Machethe: “Our law enforcement is seriously not functional. There has always been a link.”
@Mokoni: “What did Kelly stand to gain?”
@Ntobe_wezimbali: “Baloyi’s strategy is taking long for her to get arrested. She should be joining them there in the bench. But let’s wait I believe Baloyi will give us victory.”
@Sandiso__N: “This thing really doesn’t add up, how can a mother of two-month child at that time buy hitmen to kill the father of her child! I strongly believe they’re using her to hide really people behind this but something doesn’t really add up here.”
Despite public scrutiny and calls for her to testify since the trial resumed in July 2023, Kelly's name did not appear on the witness list provided by State prosecutor Advocate George Baloyi. Meanwhile, R&B singer-songwriter Zandile "Zandie" Gumede took to social media to encourage her sister Kelly, sharing a photo of them with their mother and expressing belief in her innocence with the caption:
“Bo Mashobane sekuseduze phambili, God is at work. Isilungu sithi [lies] will travel halfway across the world while the truth is still putting on its shoes and tying its lace.”
Zandie and her then-boyfriend, Longwe Twala, and Senzo’s friends from KwaZulu-Natal, Mthokozisi Thwala and Tumelo Madlala, were all present watching an “English soccer game” when the intruders allegedly entered the house.
As the trial continues, the revelations and courtroom drama add further intrigue to the ongoing case.
