Lindani Myeni's body to arrive in South Africa tomorrow
After weeks of preparations and planning, Lindani Myeni's family will finally receive his body this weekend.
The remains of the KZN father of two -- who was shot by police in Hawaii -- are being flown to O.R. Tambo International on Saturday.
Members of the provincial government will be there to support his American wife Lindsay, who's arrived in the country with their children, and his family.
Myeni's grandmother Sizani Nhleko says the 29-year-old will be laid to rest next Saturday the 8th of May.
"We are going to receive him on Saturday. We will have a short prayer session at the airport then after that there will be officials from government then we will leave for Richard's Bay. On the 6th we are having a memorial service in Esikhawini and on Saturday is the funeral."
The former rugby player was gunned down by police who'd responded to a robbery in progress.
KZN Premier Sihle Zikalala says despite attempts to get information from Honolulu police about the investigation into his death - there's been no response yet.
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"Judging by their attitude, we can only conclude that they lack respect for Black lives. We call on the people of this province, the country, Africa and the World not to keep quiet about this injustice."
"Being Black is not a scourge. It is not a crime. But when you consider the conduct of the police in Honolulu, you begin to realise that they’re not taking this incident seriously. They are behaving as if nothing happened. It’s as if this life didn’t matter at all.
"All person was killed here, not a fly. This was someone’s son, husband, father and friend who died under very questionable circumstances. The least we expect from them is some transparency and accountability.
“As a country with a painful history of race-based violence, an incident such as this one touches a raw nerve in us because our wounds are still very fresh. This injustice cannot, and should not, be left unchallenged.
“Therefore, as the province of KwaZulu-Natal, we are calling on South Africans to rise up and make a strong statement against this abomination."
He's also called on US President Joe Biden to intervene.
"We know that US President Joe Biden has an illustrious history as a crusader for human rights and justice. We are confident that if he could intervene in this case and start asking questions, we would start to see some progress."
Meanwhile, the family's told the Premier that the police haven't returned Myeni's personal items, including his cell phone and wedding ring.
