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By Sibongiseni Gumbi

Football Writer


Molangoane hopes for justice for his friend Senzo Meyiwa’s death

'He was a nice guy and very fun to hang around with, he loved to dance. We are crying for justice and I believe justice will prevail,' says Molangoane


Senzo Meyiwa’s brutal killing still haunts many people including his football colleagues and friends, although many avoid speaking about it in public. 

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He was killed at his then girlfriend Kelly Khumalo’s mother’s house in Volsloorus in October of 2014 but eight years later, there is no justice, and even what happened is still a mystery.

But his former Orlando Pirates teammate Joseph Molangoane has broken the silence and revealed how he hopes for justice to be served. 

“When I was at Pirates, I looked up to the senior players that I found at the club like Rooi Mahamutsa, Lucky Lekgwathi, Siyabonga Sangweni and Nzori, as we used to call Senzo,” says Molangoane told Sunday World.

‘Tight’, as Molangoane is known in football circles, now plays for Marumo Gallants. He spent a few years at Chippa United and Kaizer Chiefs before joining the Limpopo side.

“I was close friends with him (Senzo Meyiwa) because we both lived in Buccleuch. So we spent a lot of time together. We won silver medals with Pirates in the Champions League with coach Roger de Sa (in 2013).. 

“We played against Al Ahly, and I remember once at training when a bomb exploded we were all so scared but we continued with our training routines.

“Senzo calmed us down with his jokes because he was always a guy who could turn a bad situation into a good one easily.

“Nzori will always be missed. He was a nice guy and very fun to hang around with; he loved to dance. We are crying for justice and I believe justice will prevail.” 

Pirates chairman Irvin Khoza recently spoke of how much it hurts to watch the case of Senzo Meyiwa’s killing being turned into a joke on TV. Molangoane also expressed his disappointment. 

“The time will come when those who are responsible for taking his life face their punishment.

“When I watch the case on TV it hurts, especially when there’s nothing we can do as ordinary citizens, we can only hope for justice. 

“Those who know what happened and those who are responsible at the end of the day will face the law. 

“They killed a father, a son, a friend and a national asset to the football fraternity because he was a star for Orlando Pirates and Bafana Bafana.”

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