Thousands of mourners from across the country converged at the Saselamani Stadium outside Malamulele for the civic funeral held in honour of the late Collins Chabane mayor, Cllr Moses Maluleke, on Tuesday. This followed a memorial service at the Malamulele Town Hall the day before.
The 56-year-old mayor, popularly known as Big Moss, was shot and killed during what appeared to have been a robbery at this home. On the afternoon of 21 July, Maluleke and his 18-year-old son returned home. On arrival, they were confronted in front of the house by two men with guns. The killers allegedly demanded money before firing shots at Maluleke and his son. Maluleke was killed and his son seriously injured.
Two suspects were arrested in connection with his murder and appeared in the Malamulele Magistrate's Court on Monday, 1 August. They were denied bail and will appear again on 10 August.
The funereal service saw heavy police presence. High-profile government officials were in attendance, including Minister of Justice Mr Ronald Lamola, Deputy Police Minister Mr Cassel Mathale, the ANC's Ms Thoko Didiza, high-ranking ANC officials from Vhembe who worked with Big Moss, Limpopo ANC officials, mayors, MECs, traditional leaders, faith-based leaders and many others.
Speaking at the funeral, Limpopo Premier Chupu Stanley Mathabatha described the death of the late mayor as devastating and not only a loss to his family, but also to the community of Vhembe and the province as a whole. "We do not have sufficient words to express our pain, our anger, and our sense of loss. We have lost a true community activist. The Collins Chabane Local Municipality has been dealt a devastating blow by a ruthless and thoughtless mob of criminals. The killers also attempted to take the life of his son. We are encouraged by his progress [in hospital] and wish him a complete recovery."
Mathabatha thanked the police in the province, who had worked around the clock to apprehend the suspects. "We commend the police for the swiftness of the arrests. We believe that an open-court trial will reveal the motive for this heinous act and whether there are other people involved in this murder."
While the police were praised lavishly, Mathabatha lashed out at the courts at the same time, saying that, despite the police's hard work, the justice system was letting them down by imposing short sentences on criminals.
After the formal programme at the stadium was concluded, a convoy of selected mourners moved to the local Shikundu Cemetery, where Maluleke was laid to rest.