In a dramatic turn during the ongoing murder trial of former Bafana Bafana captain Senzo Meyiwa, defence witness Sifiso Gwabini Zungu has firmly distanced himself from a signed statement that allegedly links the five accused men to the 2014 killing.
Gwabini, testifying at the High Court in Pretoria, denied any knowledge of the document’s contents, which purportedly places all five suspects—Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya, Bongani Ntanzi, Mthobisi Ncube, Mthokoziseni Maphisa, and Fisokuhle Ntuli—at a gathering he hosted at a Vosloorus hostel on the day of the murder. The statement, presented by the state, claims the accused were involved in the crime, with two allegedly admitting to it being a contract killing.
Under cross-examination by state prosecutor George Baloyi, Gwabini repeatedly asserted his ignorance. “No, I don’t know anything,” he stated when questioned about the statement. When Baloyi pressed further, asking if the document had not been explained to him, Gwabini responded, “I know nothing because there was a point that you advocate Baloyi tried to read something to me and I said I don’t know this statement.”
Gwabini, a relative of accused number one Muzi Sibiya, has claimed the statement was coerced under duress. He alleges police assaulted and tortured him, including suffocating him with a plastic bag and beating him, forcing him to sign without reading it. He also disputed the authenticity of the signatures on the document.
The defence has objected to the state’s use of the statement, arguing it is inadmissible evidence. However, the presiding judge has permitted cross-examination to continue.
Meyiwa, the beloved Orlando Pirates goalkeeper, was shot and killed on October 26, 2014, at the home of his then-girlfriend, singer Kelly Khumalo, in Vosloorus, Gauteng. The five men face charges of murder, attempted murder, and related offences. The trial, which has faced numerous delays, legal challenges, and changes in representation, entered its defence phase after the state closed its case in 2025.
Proceedings are expected to resume with further witnesses and arguments. The case continues to draw widespread public attention, highlighting ongoing issues in South Africa’s justice system.