KwaDukuza mourns loss of ‘Giant of law enforcement’, Eddie Boaventura

The violent death of KwaDukuza municipality (KDM) traffic officer, superintendent Eduardo ‘Eddie’ Boaventura (59), has shocked the community.

Hundreds of messages of support for his family and friends have since poured in on social media.

On Friday last week, Boaventura pulled over a car fleeing from a robbery at the Vodacom cellphone store in the KwaDukuza Mall.

It is understood he pulled the car over for erratic driving in his role as a traffic officer.

When he approached the driver’s side, Boaventura was shot five times in the chest, with the robbers stealing his pistol before leaving him on the roadside.

Although he was quickly airlifted to a Pietermaritzburg hospital, his injuries were too severe and he passed away on Friday night.

Less than a year away from his retirement from law enforcement, Boaventura had just bought flowers and chocolates for his wife Retha, who was celebrating her birthday.

Raised in Ballito from the age of three, Boaventura attended Umhlali Prep and Stanger High School along with his younger brothers, Luiz and Fernando.

“He was the perfect big brother and son, always there at the drop of a hat to help and give advice. We miss him so much,” said Fernando.

While at Umhlali Prep, he met lifelong friend Marcel Thome, also a Ballito resident.

“We soon became fast friends, alongside another friend of ours who sadly also passed away. We called ourselves the three musketeers. He was one of the most upright, honourable and kind men I had ever met,” said Thome.

He spent three years with the SANDF after school before studying at the Johannesburg College of Education.

While in Johannesburg, he married his first wife Wendy June Westcott, with whom he had son, Joao and daughter, Sasha-lee.

Joao and his wife live in Canada with Boaventura’s granddaughter, whom he planned to meet in person next year.

He worked in the traffic department of the Johannesburg Metro Police before moving back to Ballito in the mid-2000s, working with the KDM traffic department until his death.

Aside from his children, Boaventura leaves behind his second wife, Retha, both brothers and his mother.

Boaventura was described by police colleagues as ‘a giant of law enforcement, an honest, straight arrow who cared only about making his communities better’.

KDM mayor, Lindile Nhaca lamented the loss.

“I send my deepest condolences to his family, colleagues and friends, with the hope that they find solace in the knowledge that they are not alone. We are calling on all law enforcement agencies to work as a collective to ensure that those behind the killing of superintendent Boaventura face the full might of the law,” she said.

Joao and his family are trying to travel from Canada at short notice and have appealed for any help they can get to make that possible.

If you would like to help, visit www.gofundme.com/f/officer-boaventura-grandfather-taken-too-soon.

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