SOUTH AFRICA CAPTAIN and goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa was shot dead late on Sunday near Johannesburg.
Police spokesman, Lieutenant-General Solomon Makgale, said Meyiwa was shot at a house in Vosloorus, a township about 20 kilometres south of the city, and declared dead on admission to hospital.
The 27-year-old was shot in the upper body, police spokesman Brig. Neville Malila said today.
Local media reports say that Meyiwa was shot while trying to protect his girlfriend, Kelly Khumalo, a South African singer and celebrity. Malila didn’t comment on these reports.
The three assailants then fled on foot, according to the police service, which offered a reward of nearly $14,000 for information leading to arrests in the case.
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Malila said investigators were treating the incident as an attempted robbery, and a murder investigation was underway.
AP
AP
He said no arrests had yet been made and there had been seven people in the house before the two intruders entered. No one else was injured.
Nothing was taken from the house, Malila said, but he couldn’t rule out that the gunmen had demanded cellphones, cash and other valuables from the occupants.
Reaction
Meyiwa played for the Orlando Pirates club on Saturday and has been in outstanding form for the national team in 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
As the news filtered through this evening, there was an outpouring of emotion across social media with some reaction coming from Meyiwa’s international team-mates.
Beyond devastated at the loss of our captain & friend Senzo Meyiwa. thoughts & prayers are with his family & friends at this terrible time.
Meyiwa, who had been with the Johannesburg-based Pirates club for his entire career, had recently been handed the captain’s armband by the current manager Vladimir Vermezovic.
Late on Sunday evening, the club issued a statement pertaining to the tragic news.
MEYIWA STATEMENT: The @Orlando_Pirates family has learned with sadness of the untimely death of our number 1 keeper & captain Senzo Meyiwa.
It’s the second death to hit South African sport in three days after former 800-meter world champion and Olympic silver medalist Mbulaeni Mulaudzi was killed in a car crash on Friday.
South African President Jacob Zuma released a statement on Meyiwa’s death, saying “words cannot express the nation’s shock at this loss.”
“The law enforcement authorities must leave no stone unturned in finding his killers and bring them to justice,” Zuma said.
South African goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa shot dead 'while trying to protect his girlfriend'
Updated 12.05pm
SOUTH AFRICA CAPTAIN and goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa was shot dead late on Sunday near Johannesburg.
Police spokesman, Lieutenant-General Solomon Makgale, said Meyiwa was shot at a house in Vosloorus, a township about 20 kilometres south of the city, and declared dead on admission to hospital.
The 27-year-old was shot in the upper body, police spokesman Brig. Neville Malila said today.
Local media reports say that Meyiwa was shot while trying to protect his girlfriend, Kelly Khumalo, a South African singer and celebrity. Malila didn’t comment on these reports.
The three assailants then fled on foot, according to the police service, which offered a reward of nearly $14,000 for information leading to arrests in the case.
Malila said investigators were treating the incident as an attempted robbery, and a murder investigation was underway.
He said no arrests had yet been made and there had been seven people in the house before the two intruders entered. No one else was injured.
Nothing was taken from the house, Malila said, but he couldn’t rule out that the gunmen had demanded cellphones, cash and other valuables from the occupants.
Reaction
Meyiwa played for the Orlando Pirates club on Saturday and has been in outstanding form for the national team in 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
As the news filtered through this evening, there was an outpouring of emotion across social media with some reaction coming from Meyiwa’s international team-mates.
Meyiwa, who had been with the Johannesburg-based Pirates club for his entire career, had recently been handed the captain’s armband by the current manager Vladimir Vermezovic.
Late on Sunday evening, the club issued a statement pertaining to the tragic news.
It’s the second death to hit South African sport in three days after former 800-meter world champion and Olympic silver medalist Mbulaeni Mulaudzi was killed in a car crash on Friday.
South African President Jacob Zuma released a statement on Meyiwa’s death, saying “words cannot express the nation’s shock at this loss.”
“The law enforcement authorities must leave no stone unturned in finding his killers and bring them to justice,” Zuma said.
- with reporting from AFP and Associated Press
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