Mourners from all over the province attended the funeral of Sgt Lutendo Thathaisa. The late police officer (39) died in the line of duty on 25 August, after he was run over and killed by a speeding car during a roadblock on the R521. He was buried at Tshiozwi on Saturday, 2 September.
During the funeral, the sound of hymns was overpowered by the weeping of family members and friends. Speakers labelled him as a fallen hero, who was involved in the battle to improve his people's lives. After the service, which was held at his home, police officers marched in formation to the nearby cemetery, where he was buried.
Thathaisa was depicted by his colleagues as a God-fearing, hardworking, dedicated, loving and respected police officer. Capricorn's district commissioner, Maj Gen Lesiba Jack Mashilo, expressed his condolences to the family. He described Thathaisa as a brave policeman who had been eager to learn and loyal to the government and to his fellow man. He said that Thathaisa had sacrificed his life to serve his people with distinction. "We really lost a hardworking person who was always dedicated to his job. The department will sorely miss his contribution to service delivery in our province," he said.
The family representative, Mr Jomo Thathaisa, said their pain was more than words could express. "We thank the community for their support since the day we received the sad news. Your presence and contributions made us strong, although we know this tragedy will ring in our minds for the rest of our lives," he said.