Photo: Twitter
Photo: Twitter
Wait, what? A freak incident has been reported at the Westpark Cemetery this week, after a local pensioner was struck in the leg by a stray bullet. Guns were illegally fired into the air during the funeral of the ANC stalwart Kebby Maphatsoe, and unfortunately, this act of stupidity has left an 75-year-old woman with serious injuries.
Kebby Maphatsoe funeral descends into chaos
The madness ensued on Sunday. As Kebby Maphatsoe was being laid to rest, his MKMVA-affiliated supporters gave him a send-off using automatic weapons and rifles – a practice usually associated with services for gangsters.
Video footage of the incident captures a barrage of bullets being discharged from a wide variety of weapons, with one person reloading a pistol to send more ammunition into the sky. However, someone’s aim was clearly off, and the elderly victim was rushed to hospital, where she faced a long wait to secure a bed. You can see the clip here…
Watch: Kebby Maphatsoe mourners fire bullets into the air
The gunfire salute continues at #KebbyMaphatsoe funeral. Semi-automatics, glocks and pistols. Could there be a few of Prinsloo's Z88s being fired here as well? Hard to tell. pic.twitter.com/WnGGxp1VFu
— Govan Whittles (@van1go) September 5, 2021
Pensioners ‘badly shaken’ by gunfire incident
The septuagenarian was in a nearby care home at the time of the incident, and was left dazed and confused by the ordeal. What is more, a second victim was almost added to the funeral’s toll of casualties. A man in his late 80s reported a bullet sailing through his bedroom window, striking an object ‘just a few metres away from him’.
James Lorrimer, the DA’s Constituency Head for Westdene and Montgomery Park, has called for an immediate and proper police investigation into this matter – and he is outraged that more wasn’t done to prevent this hail of bullets.
“Reports from yesterday’s Maphatsoe burial indicate some senior police officers were present. There is no sign they did anything to stop the shooting, which took place in a cemetery surrounded by residential areas. The sheer irresponsibility of firing multiple live rounds into the air in densely settled areas is difficult to believe.”
“Residents of the surrounding suburbs say gunshots went off during the funeral, and continued for about half an hour. Firing into the air has been common practice at gangster funerals for some years. The fact that it was at the funeral of a one-time senior member of the ANC government speaks volumes about the type of organisation the ANC has become”
