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The family of late Kaizer Chiefs legend Ace Ntsoelengoe has been struck by a double tragedy after both his nephews were killed within two weeks of each other.
One of Ntsoelengoe's nephews, Boitumelo Zandamela, 28, was shot nine times and killed at the funeral of another nephew, Kopano Ndimande, 29, during an after-tears gathering in Mohlakeng, Randfontein, on Saturday.
A few hours before the shooting, Zandamela was part of hundreds of people who laid to rest his cousin Ndimande, who died after he was run over by a vehicle two weeks ago. Ndimande was killed apparently because of a love triangle with his girlfriend and another man. His family said he had been involved with a woman in the area who was dating someone else.
Zandamela’s sister, Nozwengu Cekwana, told Sowetan that they were part of a group of eight people who stayed behind after the funeral to celebrate Ndimande’s life.
“This man who is dating our sister became rowdy and started hurling insults at our elders. Tumi (Zandamela) tried to calm him down because they knew each other. Tumi worked for him so they had a relationship,” Cekwana said.
“The guy grabbed Tumi from behind and told him that he would crack open his head with a gun. Tumi fought back, then we heard two shots being fired. Then he shot Tumi twice in the waist, once in the leg, and as he lay on the ground, he shot numerous times on his body like [he was shooting] a dog,” Cekwana said.
Police spokesperson Sgt Carmen Hendricks said Sipho Mpande, 40, appeared in the Randfontein magistrate’s court on Monday on charges of murder and illegal possession of firearm and ammunition following the shooting.
Ndimande’s uncle, Gregory Ndimande, said he heard that his nephew had been involved with a woman in the area who was dating someone else.
Ndimande died on September 24, two days after he was run over by a vehicle. “I won't lie to you, Kopano was loved by everyone, especially girls. He was a people’s person. We were told that the guy who ran him over had seen a picture of him with his girlfriend and he lost his mind,” Gregory said.
“Witnesses told the police that Kopano was walking on the side of the road and tried to evade the vehicle that was approaching him from behind. There is no pavement on that road because a concave water drain exists on the side of the road,” he said.
“They said Kopano tried to avoid the car but it followed him and hit him before it sped off. At the time we were confused about the whole thing until we were told that the person who ran him over had been angered by a picture he saw of Kopano with his girlfriend,” Gregory said.
He said the man allegedly responsible for his nephew’s hit-and-run handed himself over to the police a day after he died.
“He (Kopano) was an admin clerk at a school in the area; he would not harm a fly. This has saddened us,” Gregory said.
Sgt Hendricks confirmed that a case of culpable homicide was being investigated and that the suspect had been charged and appeared in court on Tuesday.
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