Editor's Blog
I seldom log on to Twitter and I get a lot of stick and ridicule for it, but when I did this past Sunday, nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to encounter - the alleged details of Senzo Meyiwa's final minutes on this wretched earth laid bare, albeit by an unverified user account. The user is one @AdvBarryRoux, a name pilfered from legal eagle Barry Roux, the man who was Oscar Pistorius' attorney during his much-publicised murder trial. It has been said that the person behind the posts is hiding their real identity for fear of reprisals. What made me shed a tear and motivated this piece is that the grim details do not give one the impression that they come from an angle of fabrication, so one has no reason to become a prophet of doom. In fact, between Sunday and the time of writing, I have not come across a post on Twitter that expressed misgivings about the thread. Perhaps what is at the heart of the whole episode is that no one has ever come forward to tell the rest of South Africa what happened on the night of 26 October 2014, despite the presence of eight other people in the Vosloorus house where Senzo Meyiwa breathed his last. In the absence of what would appear to be credible information from those in front of whom this tragedy unfolded, we are left with no choice but to dot the I's and cross the t's ourselves. Now let me bring you up to speed with the tweets I referred to earlier. "Good morning to everyone except for Kelly Khumalo, Kelly Khumalo's sister, Senzo Meyiwa's friend from Durban, 4 Police detectives, Chico Twala's son, Zondi, Longwe Longwe's Nigerian friend for obvious reasons," was the opening of the sequel. What followed was tweet after tweet detailing exactly what allegedly happened in the lead up to Senzo's death, at least according to the version of the nameless and faceless accuser. The tweets create the impression that drugs are at the centre of what has now turned out to be the mysterious death of a beloved soccer star. To cut a long story short, a scuffle allegedly ensued and that's when Senzo got shot. The rest, I dare say, is history. Lest I be accused of bias or placing a guilty verdict on the innocent, let me state upfront that I know better than to cast aspersions on people based on hearsay, least of all on allegations yet to be tested in a court of law. No one is the intended target of my ire. But "it's true, it's not true" is not the story right now. The story is that out there sits someone who knows the truth. Out there, weeps a family bereft of a breadwinner. Is it not strange that everyone who was in the said house that night seems to know everything except for who pulled the trigger? What we are left with as a result is a mental picture of robbers suddenly descending on the house, going on their robbing spree and then, just a moment before one of them points a firearm at Senzo Meyiwa, everyone falls asleep. La-la land. So many questions, very few answers. If indeed it was a "botched robbery" as we have been made to believe all along, why did the robber choose to shoot only at Senzo? I am aware that in many instances, criminals feel a certain thrill from having a well-known personality as a victim. It's a big thing in the gangsterism circles, especially for newbies who still have to prove their mettle, so to speak. But Senzo was not the only celebrity within sight of the evildoer. Could he have done something to drive the miscreant into killing him there and then, without a warning shot fired? Could it be that the bullet was meant for someone else and the Umlazi-born lad was merely caught in the crossfire? For how long are these and other questions going to linger? For how long is the former Bafana Bafana captain's father, Sam, going to endure sleepless nights over the unsolved murder case of his son? This is painful. Tragic even. Tear-inducing stuff. A footballer killed in his prime and yet no justice in the world he left behind. Instead, promises of imminent arrests are the order of the day. The latest of these promises came last week when Minister of Police, Fikile Mbalula, assured all who were within earshot that the police were hard at work on the case and that those who killed Senzo will face the full might of the law. This is cold comfort for a family that has been looking for closure for more than three years and for football lovers who lost their brave goalkeeper in a moment of senselessness. Those who know what happened but choose not to come forward with the information to help nab the killer better know one thing: peace will not be found in these streets until the person behind the trigger is brought to book. It's sickening to think that this murderer could be out there in the community, among us, going on with life without a care in the world, even possibly attending Absa Premiership games, the very games he deprived Senzo of taking any further part in. A part of us is gone with 'Nzori'. Well, just in case this cruel, heartless excuse for a human being is reading this, please heed this message from yours truly: when the final whistle finally blows on you, you will be desperately crying for extra time, but not even the golden goal rule should apply in your case. The law will have the last penalty kick and a red card will send you straight to jail, to enjoy the fruits of your labour. Mark my words. Catch y'all on the rebound! Lunga
