As court proceedings in the Senzo Meyiwa trial resume on Tuesday, 22 April 2024, all eyes will be on advocate Charles Mnisi, who is expected to confirm whether he will represent Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya going forward.
What to expect from the Senzo Meyiwa trial today
This follows the death of Sibiya’s former legal representative, advocate Thulani Mngomezulu, in December 2024.
During the last court session, Mnisi asked for an additional postponement to prepare, which prompted a firm response from Judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng.
The judge reminded Mnisi that he had already been granted more than two months to ready himself and insisted that the trial would continue today.
The court will likely begin by addressing Mnisi’s position. If Mnisi confirms that he is not prepared to proceed or officially withdraws, the court will need to determine the next steps regarding Sibiya’s legal representation.
If Mnisi affirms his readiness, this will mark the first active court session in the case since December.
If the trial does resume substantively, proceedings may continue with witness testimony or cross-examination based on where the case left off.
However, the immediate focus will be on the legal representation of accused number one.
The trial has drawn national attention as it continues to navigate complex legal terrain, witness credibility challenges, and allegations involving public figures.
You can join the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial live below.
Trial recap: Key testimonies and new revelations
The last official day of testimony occurred in December 2024, prior to the unexpected passing of advocate Thulani Mngomezulu. The trial has been postponed multiple times since it started in 2022, and the recent disruption followed a pattern of delays that have plagued the proceedings.
The accused—Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya, Bongani Ntanzi, Mthokoziseni Maphisa, Mthobisi Mncube, and Fisokuhle Ntuli—are facing charges related to the 2014 killing of Senzo Meyiwa.
The former Bafana Bafana goalkeeper was shot and killed at the home of his girlfriend, singer Kelly Khumalo, in Vosloorus. What was initially reported as a robbery gone wrong has since evolved into a complex case involving disputed confessions and allegations of conspiracy.
Testimony from lead investigator Brigadier Bongani Gininda highlighted inconsistencies in the confessions provided by some of the accused.
Gininda claimed that the confessions contained fabricated details and pointed to Khumalo as a potential orchestrator of the shooting. These assertions have been hotly contested and remain unproven in court.
Defence attorneys have frequently challenged the state’s version of events, arguing that the men on trial were not present at the scene.
They have alleged that the real perpetrators have not been charged, further complicating an already convoluted legal process.
The trial restarted from the beginning in July 2023 after it was ruled that it had to be reheard due to changes in judicial leadership. Since then, the court has heard detailed witness testimonies and reviewed evidence submitted by both the prosecution and defence.
Proceedings today hinge on Mnisi’s next move, which will determine how soon the court can return to hearing evidence in the long-running case.
Who killed Senzo Meyiwa?
The five suspects were nabbed in October 2021, on the seventh anniversary of the Orlando Pirates goalkeeper’s death.
One of the murder accused, Sibiya, was recently sentenced to 12 years imprisonment for attempted murder. He was found guilty of shooting his girlfriend, who, at the time, had threatened to lift the lid on his alleged involvement in the death of Meyiwa.
Kelly Khumalo has also been linked to the death of Meyiwa, who, at the time, was romantically involved with the revered songstress.
Despite numerous rumours of her alleged masterminding of the murder, her attorney Magdalene Moonsamy has maintained that her client remains “very positive” and “in good spirits”.
“She has been looking forward to this, and it’s nowhere, and we anticipate closure. There is a family involved, there is a child involved that has lost her dad and this is important for the purposes of herself and for the purposes of moving forward,” Moonsamy said at the time.
