‘I wish I didn’t allow Senzo into my life’: Text messages between Kelly and Zandile reveal ‘love triangle’

Defence in the trial of the five men accused of killing Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa brought up text messages between his then-lover, Kelly Khumalo, and her sister, Zandile, in which Kelly expressed regret over her relationship with the soccer star.

Senzo Meyiwa murder trial

The messages, which were sent in the months leading up to Meyiwa’s murder in 2014, give an insight into the “love triangle” between Khumalo, Meyiwa, and his wife at the time, Mandisa.

In one of the messages, Khumalo said she regretted allowing Meyiwa into her life, and his lies had gotten them “into a mess”.

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In another message, Khumalo claimed Meyiwa brought a “dark cloud” over her life and she felt like God was “deliberately sabotaging” her by keeping him in her life.

Cross-examination

The messages were brought up by Advocate Zithulele Nxumalo during his cross-examination of Zandile at the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on Friday.

Advocate Nxumalo is representing accused number four, Mthokoziseni Ziphozonke Maphisa, and the SMSes he read out in court were contained in an affidavit compiled by one of the police officers who investigated the murder case.

In one of the messages sent in December 2013, Khumalo expressed regret over her relationship with the soccer star after his mother apparently spoke to a Durban-based radio station blasting her for being in a relationship with a married man.

The text message read by Nxumalo stated: “I regret everything. I wish I didn’t allow Senzo into my life. Look at the mess it has gotten us into. It’s all his lies that are now affecting all of us”.

‘Senzo wasn’t honest’

Zandile told the court that she interpreted the messages to mean Meyiwa was dishonest and had been lying to her sister about his marriage.

“Senzo wasn’t honest. At times he would be with Mandisa and sometimes he would be with Kelly and tell them different stories,” said Zandile.

She claimed there was tension between Meyiwa, Mandisa and Kelly, and Kelly was unhappy the footballer was unable to choose between them.

In another SMS, Kelly told her sister: “I’m emotionally drained. I sometimes feel that Senzo brought a dark cloud in my life and I can almost hate myself for not succeeding in getting rid of him via SMSes and the SMS would not go through.

“I feel like God is deliberately sabotaging me by keeping this man in my life,” Advocate Nxumalo said, reading from the text message.

‘All I can do is hope and pray’

In another SMS, Khumalo told her sister that she hoped that she was “getting closer” to ending her relationship with Meyiwa, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it because she loved him.

“All I can do is hope and pray that each day I’m getting closer to my day of being free from him.”

When asked what she thought of the SMS, Zandile explained her sister was “romantic at heart” and when she loved someone, she loved them with all her heart.

“My sister would also tell me how her heart was broken and she would feel like leaving him, but at the same time, she loved him a lot,” she said.

Meyiwa was fatally shot on 26 October 2014, during an alleged botched robbery at the family home of Khumalo in Vosloorus, east of Johannesburg.

Muzikawukhulelwa Sthemba Sibiya, Bongani Sandiso Ntanzi, Mthobisi Prince Ncube, Mthokoziseni Ziphozonke Maphisa and Sifisokuhle Ntuli face various charges, including premeditated murder and attempted murder in connection with Meyiwa’s murder.

The group pleaded not guilty to the charges on Tuesday following the restart of the protracted trial.

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