Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya and Bongani Sandiso Ntanzi said they were paid by Kelly Khumalo to kill Senzo Meyiwa. File picture: Oupa Mokoena, Independent Newspapers
TWO OF the five men accused of killing Bafana Bafana captain Senzo Meyiwa told the police in their confession statements that they were paid R100,000 to carry out the alleged hit.
This was revealed in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on Friday after police read their confession statements.
Judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng ruled on Thursday that the confession statements were made freely and voluntarily. The accused had told the court they were assaulted and tubed to make the confessions. The court went into a trial-within-a-trial for five months to determine if the confessions were admissible.
During the trial-within-a-trial, some of the information from the statements had been redacted.
Since the ruling, the court is now hearing the confession statements for the first time after Judge Mokgoatlheng admitted them into evidence.
In the confession statement of accused number two, Bongani Sandiso Ntanzi told police that he received R45,000 for his role in the murder and accused number one, Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya was paid R30,000.
The hit was allegedly ordered by singer Kelly Khumalo who also has a child with Meyiwa. Meyiwa was shot dead at Khumalo’s Vosloorus home.
On Friday, justice of the peace officer Lieutenant-Colonel Solomon Raphadu, who took down Ntanzi’s confession on June 19, 2020 in Moroka, read the statement in court.
How Meyiwa was murdered
Ntanzi, who was 30-years-old at the time, said he received a call in mid-October 2014 from his friend, Mthokoziseni Ziphozonke Maphisa, accused number four, who was in the company of accused number three, Mthobisi Prince Mncube.
After the call, he said he left his work place and went to meet his friends in Vosloorus hostel where they planned the murder.
“On Sunday between 7pm and 8pm we proceeded to the address. I went in with Carlos (Mncube) and others took their positions as discussed during the planning. When we entered the house, Carlos shouted in Zulu: 'phanzi, imali na ma cellphones!’ (down, money and cellphones!). I started collecting cellphones and cash that was in the container.
He said a struggle ensued after Meyiwa jumped up and fought with Mncube (Carlos).
“Two shots were fired and the second shot hit Senzo as the gun was pointed at him. I fled into the silver Polo that was waiting outside, shortly afterwards everyone was in the car and we went back to the hostel.”
Upon arriving at the hostel, he said he was given R15,000 and the next day Mncube gave him another R30,000.
Mncube central in Meyiwa killing
Meanwhile, Sibiya said he also received a call from Mncube, who told him that there was a job to kill Meyiwa for R100,000.
He implicated Khumalo as the one who ordered the hit.
Furthermore, Sibiya said that during the discussions, Khumalo called Mncube to confirm whether they were still coming.
He further added that they consulted a traditional healer to make sure that the job would go well. They paid R50 and later gave him another R5,000.
Sibiya said he was paid R30,000 for his role.
Five men - Sibiya, Ntanzi, Mncube, Maphisa, and Fisokuhle Nkani Ntuli - are standing trial for Meyiwa’s murder.
They have all pleaded not guilty.
The matter has been postponed to Monday.