'It still feels so unreal': DJ Given Mathabela to bury daughter Lusanda on Saturday after tragic murder
The funeral of 19-year-old Lusanda Hope Mathabela, daughter of radio DJ Given Mathabela, will take place on Saturday, November 8, in Nelspruit, Mpumalanga.
The teenager was murdered during a violent attack at the family’s home on November 3, a tragedy that has left her father and the local community reeling.
In his grief, Mathabela posted on social media: “It still feels so unreal, oh my beautiful daughter.”
Police confirmed that two 18-year-old suspects, Katlego Mokoena and Lungelo Sithole, have been arrested and charged with murder. They appeared before the Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court earlier this week. The case was postponed to November 12 for a formal bail application.
According to the police report, officers responded to a complaint of a residential burglary in the early hours of Sunday morning. Upon arrival, they discovered Lusanda’s body lying in a pool of blood with multiple stab wounds.
Her father, a well-known voice on the radio, said his family’s life had been shattered.
“My heart feels like it has been torn out of my chest. The pain of losing you is deeper than anything I have ever known…You deserved to live, to love, to chase your dreams and build the life you wanted. You deserved safety, peace, and happiness and it breaks me that the world failed to give you that,” he said.
He also expressed regret and anguish over the way his daughter died.
“I am so sorry, my child. I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you. Sorry that you were brutally stabbed by someone you trusted, someone who was no stranger to you.”
Mathabela described Lusanda as a radiant, loving young woman who brought light to everyone around her and that her absence had created a void that could never be filled.
IOL News