The daughter of Greenfields community leader Andile Somgxada (53), who died on July 9 after being shot outside his home days earlier, says her father dedicated his life to serving others despite repeated warnings that his activism had placed him at risk.

For Liyema (22), her father was more than a community leader.

“He was everything to me,” she said.

Andile, who led recent anti-illegal immigration marches in Greenfields, died on July 9 after spending five days at Thelle Mogoerane Regional Hospital. He had been shot inside his vehicle outside his Greenfields home on the morning of July 4.

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According to Liyema, her father left home shortly after 05:30 to collect food waste from local businesses to feed the family’s pigs, something he did every morning.

“Moments after he left, I heard what sounded like a gunshot.

“I ran outside because I heard the pop. At first, I saw him walking back towards the house, so I thought nothing had happened because it was still dark. But when he came closer and handed me his wallet, that’s when I saw all the blood.”

Neighbours rushed Andile to Thelle Mogoerane Regional Hospital while Liyema called for help. She alleges police only arrived at the scene several hours later.

A life dedicated to serving others

Liyema described her father as someone whose life revolved around helping the community.

“We would barely see him at home. Most of the time he was out helping other people because he was the chairman in the community,” she said.

She said he had spoken about warnings and threats he received before the shooting.

“He kept telling me people were saying he must stay out of this.”

Liyema believes his leadership role may have made him a target.

“I genuinely believe it’s because he was the leader of the march that he got shot. But then again, I don’t know. He was outspoken and always at the forefront of everything. He had people who loved him, but he also had enemies.”

She confirmed police have not identified any suspects or established a motive.

Holding onto hope

For five days, Liyema remained by her father’s bedside, hoping he would recover.

“They told us it was 50-50. I just kept praying and holding onto that 50% of him surviving.”

She said Andile never regained consciousness.

On July 9, doctors informed the family that even if he survived, he would likely never regain his independence. He died later that day.

“The person who did this is probably still out there living their life while ours has changed forever.”

Taking on his responsibilities

Since her father’s death, Liyema has begun taking over some of his daily responsibilities, including collecting food waste for the family’s pigs. However, she now waits until daylight before leaving home. She is also preparing for his funeral while dealing with her grief.

“I still haven’t cleaned the blood from the car because I’m traumatised. I’m trying to focus on the funeral arrangements first.”

As the eldest of seven children, she said she now feels responsible for helping carry on the legacy her father left behind.

‘He taught me how to live’

Through tears, Liyema remembered her father as a devoted parent.

“Never in my life did I sleep with an empty stomach. He always made sure we had food. He taught me to be independent, to help people and to solve problems.”

She said he encouraged her to pursue her education and always believed in her potential.

“I wanted to become successful and give back to him. I never got that chance.”

Describing the bond they shared, Liyema said she chose to live with her father because they were inseparable.

“We were like two peas in a pod. He wasn’t just a community leader. He was my best friend.”

Community support

Although the family is grieving, Liyema said the support from Greenfields residents has given them strength.

“I’ve never seen people so supportive. They’ve been helping with the funeral arrangements and supporting us every step of the way.”

A memorial service for Andile was held in Greenfields on July 15 ahead of his funeral in the Eastern Cape.

Police are continuing their investigation, and no arrests had been made at the time of publication.

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