A father’s cry for his son, the echo of a broken heart
Waking up to the news that former Orlando Pirates goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa’s father Sam had passed on after suffering a second stroke reminds me of a tragedy that struck my family in 2017.
The late Senzo Meyiwa (Photo by Anesh Debiky/Gallo Images)
If there was ever an occurrence that could describe the phrase “carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders” it would have to be about a father burying his son after he was senselessly killed.
I listened to my grandfather speaking about my father’s death each day for all of 2018 after he was stabbed to death by my adopted sister the year before, it reminded me of how Sam pleaded for justice from Orlando Pirates and the South African Police Service for his son’s death. Senzo was murdered in an alleged robbery in Vosloorus in 2014.
Stroke and asthma are medical terms commonly stated as the causes of deaths when inconsolable men die after burying their sons.
Senzo’s death sent shock waves throughout South Africa and his unsolved murder case left the country with every little hope in our justice system. After all if the SAPS can’t find the killer of a popular country figure like Senzo, then ordinary people have getting justice.
The former Bafana Bafana keeper’s death has also left many wondering if the PSL cares about the wellbeing of their assets, in this case, the players. Several players have died from car accidents and the League treated them like isolated incidents instead of coming up with a plan to curb road carnage and to teach players about responsible driving.
South Africans are expert copycats, but only when it comes to frivolous nonsense that doesn’t help anyone. The League should look at their European counterparts as well as other sporting codes to learn how to better manage their talent. Insurance pay-outs and glittering memorial/funeral services should be viewed as a disservice to families and clubs who have lost their loved ones.
As it stands now, all that remains for the Meyiwa family are the promises made to them by Police Minister Bheki Cele to resolve the Senzo Meyiwa murder case. It remains a guess for everyone if whether or not these promises will be kept.
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