The family of Vusimuzi Radebe has been left shattered after the man was allegedly brutally beaten and killed while walking home in Witbank, with his loved ones saying his death followed an assumption about where he lived.
Radebe was walking from his grandmother’s home in Kwaguqa to Lynville on Saturday, September 19, when he was reportedly questioned about where he lived and where he had come from, according to his family.
The family said Radebe explained that he had lived in Kempton Park and was returning from his grandmother’s home in Kwaguqa.
They believe the recent violence in Kempton Park contributed to assumptions being made about him.
“Because of the recent violence in Kempton Park, assumptions were made about him. Instead of establishing the truth, Vusi was brutally beaten and murdered – he died on the scene,” the family said.
The circumstances surrounding his death could not be independently established from the family’s statement, and it was not immediately clear whether police had made any arrests or what charges, if any, had been brought.
‘He was simply walking home’
For his family, the tragedy is made even more painful by their description of Radebe as a quiet man who was simply making his way home.
“Vusi was a quiet person who did not speak much. He was simply walking home. He was a human being – someone’s son, grandson and loved one,” the family said.
Radebe was the son of Sipho and Perfidia Radebe.
According to his family, his mother grew up in Kwaguqa while his father was from Lynville, Witbank. The family moved to Kempton Park in the early 1990s, before returning to Witbank about a month ago following retirement.
They were staying in Lynville at the time of Radebe’s death.
His family said his life should not have ended because of an assumption about where he lived.
“His life should should never have ended because of an assumption,” they said.
Kempton Park violence has gripped communities
Radebe’s death comes as communities in and around Kempton Park remain deeply unsettled by a series of killings that has seen nine women’s bodies discovered across Ekurhuleni over a two-month period.
SAPS confirmed on September 17 that a ninth woman’s body had been found in Dawn Park, bringing the number of bodies being investigated to nine. A multidisciplinary team of investigators, forensic experts and other specialists has been deployed to the cases.
The killings have sparked widespread fear, with police investigating whether there are links between some of the cases. However, authorities have not confirmed that a single perpetrator is responsible for all nine deaths.
Four of the women had been formally identified in reports at the time, including Dineo Motapane, Gracious Nkomo, Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo and Itumeleng Kekana.
The latest developments have prompted heightened police operations in Kempton Park, including increased patrols and crime-prevention operations as investigators continue working on the cases.
But Radebe’s family stressed that, for them, the tragedy was not about statistics or the wider investigation.
It was about a son and grandson who was walking home.
Family makes desperate appeal
With Radebe’s death leaving his loved ones demanding answers, the family has appealed to anyone who may have witnessed what happened to come forward.
“We are appealing to anyone who witnessed what happened, saw Vusi travelling from Kwaguqa towards Lynville, or has any information about his death to please come forward,” the family said.
They said information from members of the public could help establish exactly what happened to Radebe during his final journey home.
IOL has reached out to the SAPS for comment.
IOL
