Only one docket into Senzo Meyiwa's murder exists, court hears

JOHANNESBURG - The investigating officer in the Senzo Meyiwa trial has told the Pretoria High Court that only one docket into the Bafana Bafana captain’s murder exists.

The lead investigator Brigadier Bongani Gininda took the stand on Thursday morning, giving a much-anticipated testimony.

The State is at the very end of its case against the five men accused of Meyiwa’s 2014 murder.

The Bafana Bafana captain was shot while at the home of his girlfriend Kelly Khumalo, in what the State believes was a hit called by Khumalo.

Since the initial trial into Meyiwa’s started over two years ago, and was restarted in 2023, the defence has made regular mention of a second docket, known as Docket 375 into the events that led to the footballer’s murder.

Two years ago, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said it would consider that docket only after the current case is concluded.

On Thursday, Gininda started his testimony by clarifying issues around the infamous second docket.

“That case 375, it’s not a murder docket, it’s a defeating docket that was opened by warrant officer [Meshack] Makhubo. The only docket into the murder of Senzo Meyiwa is the one before court.”

Gininda told the court that this docket, which speaks to the alleged tampering of the scene, was opened by Lieutenant Colonel Joyce Buthelezi and Makhubo.

He added that it was opened in retaliation when they could not agree on whether there were intruders who murdered Meyiwa or if it was the people in the house.

GININDA TELLS COURT POLICE OFFICER LED THE STATE TO A BREAKTHROUGH

Gininda also has revealed that a police officer who claimed to be with the accused on the night the footballer was killed, gave the State its big break.

One of the witnesses who testified during the state's case was Constable Sizwe Zungu, who claimed to have been at the Basotho hostel on the day Meyiwa was killed. Zungu said all of the accused were also there and were drinking.

Zungu also said the men then disappeared as the evening progressed and rushed back to the hostel later - where he saw them with guns.

Gininda said in 2019 while he was investigating the case, he received a call from then National Police Commissioner Kehla Sithole, who told him Zungu had some intel to share.

"He told me that his father was a direct witness to what he was telling me about...to say I have information...my father witnessed certain discussions that implicate two individuals and that is where the names of accused 1 and 2 came up."

Zungu's father would later make a statement under oath, detailing what he heard about the alleged involvement of the first two accused.

This would lead to the arrests and subsequent confessions by Muzi Sibiya and Bongani Ntanzi.