Meyiwa Murder Trial: Case Postponed Over New Evidence From Khumalo’s Late Neighbour
- Senzo Mayiwa murder case has been postponed on evidence given by Kelly Khumalo's neighbour, who has since died of poisoning
- The late former Orlando Pirates goalkeeper was murdered in 2014 and the trial on the murder case has been on for so many years
- The emergence of a new evidence concerning the murder has now brought a fresh twist to the trial
The ongoing trial regarding Senzo Meyiwa's murder has been postponed following the emergence of alleged new evidence related to Kelly Khumalo’s late neighbour.
The former Orlando Pirates goalkeeper was shot and killed in a robbery at his girlfriend Kelly Khumalo's house in Vosloorus on October 26, 2014. Five men were later charged with his murder four years after the incident.
Defence lawyers for the men accused of Senzo Meyiwa’s murder have contested the prosecution’s use of Thabang Makaleni’s oral statement, arguing that it should have been presented before the state officially closed its case.
Source: Getty Images
Advocates Charles Mnisi and Sipho Ramosepele argued that the statement constitutes new evidence and should have been submitted through proper legal procedures, rather than being brought in “through the back door.”
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State prosecutor George Baloyi informed the court that the oral statement in question was made to Warrant Officer Steenkamp on October 27, 2014. Although Steenkamp did not testify, Baloyi claimed the statement had already been submitted in court.
Meyiwa murder accused's defence refutes Khumalo's neighbour’s evidence
Advocate Charles Mnisi argued that the matter being raised by the state held no relevance to the current phase of the trial. He reminded the court that he had already addressed this concern earlier in the week, emphasising that if the state believed its case was incomplete, there were proper legal avenues to follow.
Mnisi further contended that he should not be expected to respond to arguments the state is now presenting, given that the trial had moved into a different procedural stage.
“My Lord, what exactly is the purpose of this sitting?” he questioned. “Is it to introduce fresh evidence, or is it to determine whether accused number 4 has provided sufficient grounds for the court to consider a discharge? Or is it the state’s position that the accused has failed to meet the requirements under Section 174? These are the questions the court should be addressing at this stage,” Mnisi concluded.
Meyiwa's murder case has been on over the years with Orlando Pirates also losing their former striker Tendai Ndoro earlier this month with his family laying him to rest on Tuesday, August 26, 2025.
Full video of the trial on Thursday, August 28, 2025:
Meyiwa's football career
Meyiwa joined Orlando Pirates first team in 2005 after coming from the club's ranks. He initially served as a backup to first-choice goalkeeper Francis Chansa, a role he held until earning a regular starting spot in 2008.
The South African international was handed his debut for Orlando Pirates on 8 November 2006 by newly appointed coach Milutin Sredojević, in a 2-1 victory over AmaZulu F.C. Despite the promising start, his path to the starting lineup remained challenging.
In 2008, following Francis Chansa’s move to Engen Santos, Pirates signed Moeneeb Josephs from Wits University, pushing Meyiwa back into a backup role once again.
Source: Getty Images
Meyiwa became a starter in 2012 after interim coach Augusto Palacios began giving him more playing time, a decision that continued under newly appointed head coach Roger De Sá, especially after Josephs suffered a shoulder injury.
In 2013, Josephs parted ways with the Soweto giants to join Bidvest Wits, having realised he has lost his place as the club’s first-choice goalkeeper to Meyiwa.
That same year, Pirates signed Ghanaian goalkeeper Fatau Dauda, but Meyiwa held onto the starting spot. Dauda managed just three appearances before moving to Chippa United in 2014, solidifying Meyiwa’s position as the team’s undisputed number one.
On the international level, Meyiwa made his debut for South Africa on June 2, 2013, coming on as a second-half substitute for Wayne Sandilands in a 2–0 away win over Lesotho. He was named in the Bafana Bafana squad for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations under coach Gordon Igesund, although he did not feature in any matches during the tournament.
Meyiwa became more involved during the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualification campaign, earning four caps. His final appearance for the national team came on October 15, 2014, in a goalless draw against Congo at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane.
Footballer collapses and dies on the pitch
Briefly News also reported that a football player collapsed and died on the pitch in Verulam, north of Durban in KwaZulu-Natal, on Saturday, 16 August 2025, during a league match at the Verulam Recreational Grounds on Todd Street.
He was with his teammates when he suddenly fell ill and died on the spot.
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Source: Briefly News
