Johannesburg - Police will no longer update the media on the murder investigation of Bafana Bafana and Orlando Pirates skipper, Senzo Meyiwa, until they have made sufficient progress with their investigation.
Briefing reporters on Monday at the Gauteng Police provincial office in Parktown, Divisional Commissioner of Detective Services, Lieutenant-General Vinesh Moonoo, said: “We fully appreciate the fact that the public wants to know what is going on with the investigation. We assure the public that we will do everything possible to ensure that those who committed this crime are arrested and brought before the courts.
“However, we cannot provide detailed information about the investigation. Management has taken a decision that this be the last time we are addressing the media on this investigation. We will do so again at a time when we believe we have made sufficient progress with the investigation in order for us to provide feedback to the public.”
Meyiwa was shot dead last Sunday evening in Vosloorus, east of Johannesburg, while visiting friends. He was laid to rest at the Heroes’ Acre cemetery in Chesterville, Durban, on Saturday.
Since Meyiwa’s death, Moonoo said police have detained and questioned 13 people. After questioning all the suspects, they decided to arrest 25-year-old Zanokuhle Mbatha from Vosloorus.
He appeared in the Boksburg Magistrate’s Court on Friday, where he was remanded in custody until his next court appearance on Tuesday, November 11.
“We are now at a stage where we can focus on a court driven investigation and follow up several leads to get the case trial ready. But this does not mean the end of the investigation. We’ve cast the net as wide as possible to look at every possibility.
“We still maintain that the information at our disposal suggests that it was a robbery gone horribly wrong,” said Moonoo.
With regard to the three people arrested for questioning over the weekend, Moonoo said they were released after they could not be positively linked to the fatal shooting.
The police are still urging members of the public to come forward with information that could lead to the arrest and successful prosecution of the suspects who killed Meyiwa.
The R250 000-reward is still on offer as police believe that there may be more suspects on the run.
People with information are being urged to contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or SMS Crime Line on 32211. - SAnews.gov.za
