The funeral service of the three brothers who died after allegedly being poisoned by their father took place on Saturday morning in Ratanda, near Heidelberg
Lehlohonolo Khoabane, Katlego Khoabane and Teboho Ngcongwane died a week ago after consuming an energy drink allegedly laced with rat poison.
Community members, including young children, attended the funeral. Children wept as they bid farewell to the brothers.
The father is under police guard in hospital after he had tried to take his own life by drinking pills and stabbing himself with a shard of glass.
Gauteng education MEC Panyaza Lesufi, has told the funeral service in Ekhuruleni that the deaths of the Khoabane siblings is is deeply unfortunate.
Lesufi says the loss was especially difficult for learners, “Instead of congratulating our children on academic performance, we’re going through an obituary. Here we are, instead of discussing performance related to academic and sporting activities, we’re comforting our small boys, and girls to accept death. Here we are again bidding farewell to those that we love, instead of bidding farewell to them because they’re going to higher education institutions.”
Lesufi also called for the restriction of the poison called ‘haliphirimi’ that is generally used for rats. The poison has been used on people around South Africa as well in the past, resulting in death.
Gauteng education MEC Panyaza Lesufi, speaks at the funeral:
Grandfather speaks
Johannes Khoabane, grandfather of the three boys allegedly poisoned by their father, couldn’t hold back his tears in an emotional speech at the Ratanda multipurpose centre in Heidelberg, east of Johannesburg.
He told mourners at the funeral service that his son-in-law had been a trusted member of the family. He says that he knew him to be humble and a loving father.
Khoabane says that little did he know that he was a hyena in sheep’s skin. He says even the family of the father suspected of giving his five children an energy drink laced with rat poison, are shocked.
Two of the brothers died at the Khanya Lesedi Secondary and fellow learners have on Saturday packed the Ratanda multipurpose centre to pay their last respects to the boys.
Funeral of three brothers who died, allegedly after being poisoned by their father under way
The Ratanda community say the tragic poisoning of three siblings, has left them broken.
It’s alleged that the father gave the drink to all five of his children. Three are being buried on Saturday, one is still fighting for his life in hospital and the fifth child had refused to take the drink.
The father also allegedly poisoned the family dog.
