Durban – Sam Meyiwa - the father of slain Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa - believes that someone has bribed police not to make arrests for his son's murder.
"It is clear that someone has been bribing police not to arrest anyone for my son's murder," Meyiwa told News24 on Thursday.
He was reacting to allegations doing the rounds on social media that prominent South African musician Chico Thwala's firearm was allegedly used to shoot his son.
Thwala used to sing struggle songs during apartheid, including his hit single We Miss You Manelo (which disguised Mandela's name as Manelo).
The allegations also suggest that Thwala's son, Longwe, pulled the trigger on the fatal night.
READ: 'Something fishy,' says Sam Meyiwa about investigation
Senzo was killed on October 26, 2014, at his girlfriend Kelly Khumalo's house in Vosloorus.
He was apparently shot during a scuffle with "armed robbers" at the house.
He was with Khumalo, Khumalo's sister Zandi, Longwe, and his childhood friend on the fatal night.
"Yes, I've heard about social media allegations that Chico's son was involved. I'm excited that at least some people have decided to spill the beans on social media," he said.
Meyiwa said he was still hurt that no one had been arrested for his son's murder.
"It is very painful to me and the whole family that my son had been killed like an ant, whilst he was a national hero," he said.
'God is about to answer our prayers'
Meyiwa said he wished Police Minister Fikile Mbalula would react swiftly to the "new" allegations that Thwala's son was reportedly involved.
"I wish Mbalula could swiftly act and follow up on the allegations because it has long been said that it's Chico's son who committed the murder. He must take the allegations seriously and go and interrogate Chico's son.
"Most people, and even those who were in the house during the time of the incident, have said it was him who committed the crime. Why has he not been arrested? Why are police not acting on these serious allegations? That confuses me," he said.
He asked football followers to keep praying for his son's killers to be arrested.
READ: I will never stop looking for Senzo's killers: Sam Meyiwa
"God is about to answer our prayers. The revelations on social media are not for nothing. Someone is about to get arrested," he said, adding that since Senzo's death "I'm battling to make ends meet because my son who provided for the family is gone".
Speaking on Metro FM on Wednesday, Chico Thwala denied that his firearm had been used to shoot Senzo.
"My firearm is always with me. It was not missing around the time of Senzo's death. I bought the firearm in 1989," he said.
Thwala said he drove to Vosloorus on the day in question after Khumalo called to inform him about what had happened.
"I found Kelly, Longwe, Zandi and another guy who was his (Senzo) childhood friend. Senzo was lying there. I asked them what happened and they said two guys came in and wanted to rob them, and they shot Senzo. That's the information I got," he said.
Thwala insisted: "If my son had killed Senzo and I had suspected it, I would have pushed for him to go to jail."
'Police said my gun is not the one'
On allegations that his son had used his firearm, Thwala said: "Maybe he had pulled the trigger with someone else's gun, not my gun, because I wasn't there. I can't talk on behalf of Longwe, Kelly or anyone who was there. They must leave my gun out of this thing. I would never allow Longwe or anybody to take my firearm."
Thwala said police, including the Hawks, even took his firearm for ballistic tests, "because my son was at a murder scene and they wanted to check my gun".
"They took it for four weeks for ballistic tests and, when they brought it back to me, they said my gun is not the one."
He said that when Longwe started having a relationship with Zandi, "he started moving around with them (Kelly and Senzo)".
Thwala added that, "like any father, I would also feel the same pain that Senzo's father is feeling about the killing of his son".
When asked for comment, Mbalula's spokesperson Vuyo Mhaga referred News24 to national police spokesperson Vishnu Naidoo.
The Hawks' Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi also referred News24 to Naidoo.
Naidoo was asked about the bribery and firearm allegations.
He responded: "All I can tell you is that this case is still under investigation, with no new developments. We welcome any information that could help secure a conviction in this matter."
