The family of a 29-year-old man who died during a stampede at Ndofaya Mall in Meadowlands, Soweto, say they had just celebrated his birthday a week earlier and were looking forward to many years with him.
Sello Sefanyetso was killed along with 10 other people when hordes of people stormed the mall during the violent looting in Gauteng last week.
On Thursday, ANC Women's League president Bathabile Dlamini and NEC member Nomvula Mokonyane visited the bereaved families in Soweto.
Sefanyetso’s cousin, Zinhle Mbele, 32, described him as a loving and humble person.
“He was a people’s person and down to earth. Even here on Friday [at his funeral yesterday], you could see that a lot of people loved him. Everyone wanted to be here. The people who were here were more than just friends to him,” said Mbele.
Sefanyetso’s sister Busi, 33, said she felt terrible about what happened to her brother, who was a self-employed builder and painter. “I didn’t expect this. This is terrible. It hurts. I didn’t expect him to be there. He was a good person,” said Busi.
For Tinyiko Ndlovu’s family, life will no longer be the same any more as they told Sowetan they will miss her laughter and say. Ndlovu, 14, was also a victim of the stampede at Ndofaya Mall.
“I miss her a lot. She had a lot of love for me as her father. I have lost big time. She was a friendly child who was forever saying,” said 43-year-old Clement Mdaka of Meadowlands.
The grade 9 learner of Lamola Jubilee Secondary School in Soweto loved dancing. “She loved History at school and she wanted to study Accounting next year in grade 10,” said her sister Ntokozo, 20.
Ndlovu was buried on Wednesday at Avalon Cemetery in Soweto.
According to Elizabeth Khumalo, 61, thelandlord of Priscilla Ngwenya, 35, in Meadowlands Zone 5, Ngwenya was at the wrong place at the wrong time.
“What happened to her was just bad luck. She woke up on that Monday morning, we had tea and were chatting. She then did her laundry and I didn’t see her afterwards. It was only late in the evening when a group of girls she hanged out with came to my place and told me she died in the incident,” said Khumalo.
“She was a good girl and always listened. It is a bad thing what happened to her,” said Khumalo.
Khumalo said Ngwenya’s family came to take her belongings on Saturday. “She was from Zimbabwe and has been staying here with me for five years now. Her sister from Mzimhlophe Hostel came to take her stuff and said the funeral might be on Saturday in Zimbabwe,” she said.
Mokonyane said it is a cause for concern that there were young people who died during the stampede.
“Many of the people who lost their lives here are young people. We need to find ways to get closer to young people and have programmes that will help them be self-reliant, appreciate education, and of importance, have a government that is responsive to their needs as over 70% of young people in this country are unemployed. It is a crisis we have to look at,” said Mokonyane.
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