The shocked 16-year-old girlfriend of “chief” Velaphi Victor Lekhuleni – the man who lodged a land claim against almost half of Pretoria earlier this year – watched in horror as the 48-year-old was gunned down in the street outside her house on Tuesday night.
The motive for the killing appeared to be robbery, as the two attackers first shot Lekhuleni three times outside the Mamelodi home of the teenager before searching him, taking his firearm and fleeing the murder scene in the “chief’s” BMW vehicle.
However, the death of the controversial “chief”, will not end the extensive land claim he had lodged against several areas in the north east of Pretoria.
The 16-year-old girl, who spoke to Rekord on condition that she was not identified, said Lekhuleni, the owner of an initiation school in Mamelodi and who had thousands of residents, business owners and organisations up in arms since his multi-billion rand land claim came to light in February, had been with her boyfriend for quite some time.
She said Lekhuleni arrived at her house at about 21h00 to visit her. Later they talked outside in his vehicle and while she was sitting in the front passenger seat, the “chief” was standing outside the car.
“Two men, who were sitting in a parked red Volkswagen Golf some distance from us, approached us on foot. As they came close, they opened fire on Velli, hitting him three times,” she said.
She fled to the gate of her home and looking back, saw the two gunmen searching the body of Lekhuleni, taking his firearm and speeding off in his BMW.
His lifeless body was left in the street, she said, still visibly shocked by her ordeal.
Police spokeswoman Lieutenant-Colonel Katlego Mogale said the suspects fled the scene with the deceased’s maroon BMW 7series which was later found abundoned on Qwambela street in Mamelodi West.
“The motive for the murder is unknown and police request anybody with information to share it with Mamelodi West police on this number 012 812 9037 or 082 492 3241 or alternatively 082 536 6481,” Mogale said.
Meanwhile, the massive land claim instituted by him will continue to be processed, despite the fact that the controversial initiation school owner and alleged self-proclaimed chief was dead.
According to Lerato Sehlapelo of the regional land claims commission, the commission would continue to process the claim on behalf of the Bakgatla ba Lekhuleni community as ordered by the Land Claims Court, despite the death of the “chief”.
Chief land claims commissioner Nomfundo Gobodo expressed sadness on Wednesday morning over the death of Lekhuleni.
“We are deeply shocked and saddened by his death. We send our condolences to his family,” Gobodo said in a statement.
Lekhuleni launched the land claim – which involves almost the entire new east of Pretoria and half of the north of Pretoria including all the suburbs, schools, churches, shopping centres, parks, private homes, farms and smallholdings from Cullinan in the east to Pretoria North and from Wapadrand and the CSIR in Lynnwood stretching north through Mamelodi, over the Magalies Mountain to Derdepoort – several years ago.
At the time, the commission dismissed the claim, but Lekhuleni appealed against the decision and the commission was later ordered by the Land Claims Court to process the claim.
The claims were published in the 12 December and 6 February Government Gazettes, creating a major panic among residents in several areas including Die Wilgers, La Montagne, Silverton, Derdepoort and Mamelodi.
Read: Land claim continues despite murder of “chief”
“Chief” land claimant shot and killed
Massive land claim in east and north of Pretoria
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Massive land claim shocks parts of Pta
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