Ladysmith suspect in Bafana Bafana murder is released
No light has been shed on why the Ezakheni man was taken into custody, other than his remarkable resemblance to the Identikit released by police shortly after the high-profile murder
Bystanders in the Engen Wimpy parking area went crazy with anger after witnessing the hand-over of a suspect in the Senzo Meyiwa murder case. On recognising the suspect from an SAPS identification kit, they started baying for his blood.
The hand-over took place on Saturday afternoon just after 4pm and was done in plain sight of hundreds of eyewitnesses. Everyone who saw the suspect swore he was the man wanted by police. Within minutes of the hand-over, videos and photographs were circulated on social media platforms. People who had only minutes before chanted “murderer” and “rot in jail” were frantically elaborating on the story.
Rumour after rumour grew into near fantastical stories: “Kelly Khumalo’s cell-phone was found on the suspect”. Attempts by media outlets to get comment from police, even to simply confirm an arrest, proved fruitless. Everyone agreed that police had arrested someone, but nobody would confirm the arrest had been made in connection with the Senzo Meyiwa murder. Ironically, the arrest had been made while the memorial service for the slain Bafana Bafana captain and goalkeeper was in progress.
The units involved were the National Intervention Unit (NIU) and the Pietermaritzburg Tactical Response Team (TRT). The video shows a police convoy speeding away from the Engen Wimpy Garage en-route to Gauteng. According to reports, the man had been arrested at a home in Ezakheni C-Section by heavily-armed police. He was then transported to the Wimpy Engen parking area, where the arresting officers handed him over to waiting Gauteng-based investigators who rushed him to Gauteng.
The Ezakheni suspect was one of 13 people arrested in a nationwide blitz by police. It was only on Wednesday morning that police officially confirmed the arrest had taken place in the Ezakheni area… A full four days after the event! This despite numerous requests for clarity.
Gauteng police spokesperson Brigadier Neville Malila on Wednesday morning confirmed that a Ladysmith (Ezakheni) man had been taken in for questioning on Saturday. He was one of 13 people questioned by police. Brigadier Malila also confirmed that he (the Ezakheni man) has since been released without charges being laid, as police do not think he is linked to the goalkeeper’s murder.
Only one of the 13 people questioned has been charged, ie 25-year-old Zanokuhle Mbatha, who appeared in court on Friday. He has been remanded in custody until November 11. No light has been shed on why the Ezakheni man was taken into custody, other than his remarkable resemblance to the Identikit released by police shortly after the high-profile murder. Ladysmith police were not involved in the operation that resulted in the arrest.
