South Africa
The long-awaited trial, which has already been postponed twice, is due to open this Friday. The trial seeks to bring closure to the mysterious death in 2014 of Senzo Meyiwa, a soccer goalkeeper and star captain of the Bafana Bafana national team in South Africa.
The trial of the five men accused of the heinous crime was scheduled to start on April 11, but was postponed after Advocate Zandile Mshololo, the legal representative of the fifth accused, Sifisokuhle Ntuli, indicated she was unable to proceed with the trial without sufficiently consulting.
Mshololo also indicated that the State had released further particulars and statements to the defense at the eleventh hour before the highly-publicized trial.
The murder of Meyiwa has sparked protests in the various parts of the country with an outcry for justice for the footballer
Last week, Kelly Khumalo the deceased wife, sent respected legal eagle Advocate Magdalene Moonsamy to attend the high-stakes Meyiwa murder trial on a watching brief on her behalf.
“I’m on a watching brief for Ms. Kelly Khumalo. You’ll understand that is for reasons which are simply that we need to know what is going on in court, and that has been accepted by His Lordship (the judge) as well as by the defense and the prosecution,” Moonsamy spoke to journalists in court on Tuesday last week.
As the high-stakes murder trial of five men arrested in connection with the murder of Meyiwa, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has announced that it is ready to proceed. However, last week, AfriForum’s legal head, Advocate Gerry Nel, said he believes more people, not only the five should have been arrested for the 2014 murder.
“From what I have seen and the briefings I have had from the South African Police Service, I am convinced that we have the correct people in court, but I would have expected more arrests. I would have expected other people to be with them because I have said it all along. I do not believe that this was a robbery that went wrong,” said Nel who represents some Meyiwa family members.
The NPA’s lead prosecutor in the Meyiwa’s murder trial, Advocate George Baloyi urges all role players to ensure that the matter proceeds (today), in the interest of justice for the Meyiwa family and the public at large.
Meyiwa was killed on October 26, 2014, while visiting his girlfriend and mother of his child, singer Kelly Khumalo, in Vosloorus in Gauteng.
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