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Pretoria – Residents of Soshanguve have come out in their numbers to bid farewell to Elias Tshabalala, who was killed in Hammanskraal during protests over evictions on Monday.
People packed a tent in front of the Tshabalala household where the funeral service took place on Sunday morning.
The hearse for his final send-off was a modified motorbike with long windows providing a view of his coffin, on which a simple floral arrangement of pink and white flowers contrasted with deep greenery was placed.
Tshabalala was killed when Hammanskraal residents turned on employees of the Red Ants security company and a Pretoria-based construction and security business, which had been sent to evict them from land in the area.
A second worker, Lucky Nelushi, was also killed during the altercation with residents. Five people have been arrested, one for murder.
Permission to live there
The Kekana royal household owned some of the land and people claim they had been granted permission to live there.
Chief Lleka Jacob Kekana of the Amandebele-A-Moletlane tribe, which owns the land, denied obtaining the court order.
"I did not apply for a court order, that was not me," he said on Friday.
A committee has been set up to get to the bottom of the matter. It would include mayoral committee members Joshua Ngonyama, Terence Mashigo, makgoshi (chiefs), residents, and Gauteng housing MEC Paul Mashatile's department.
There were also allegations that an ANC official had sold stands on the land. The ANC vowed to look into this allegation and take strong action if the claim was proved to be true.
Nelushi's brother, Doctor, told News24 earlier this week that when he tried to get hold of his brother on Monday a stranger answered the phone and said they had "just finished killing him".
It emerged that the two were doing a temporary job and had hoped to earn around R150 a day to help with the evictions.
Family and friends gathered for his final journey were emotional as the hearse made its way down the street.
See the pics:
(Karabo Ngoepe, News24)
(Karabo Ngoepe, News24)
(Karabo Ngoepe, News24)
(Karabo Ngoepe, News24)
(Karabo Ngoepe, News24)
(Karabo Ngoepe, News24)
