Colleagues honour Tshwane employee shot dead during student protests

 Colleagues, friends and family gathered at the Tshwane House on Wednesday morning, to pay their last respects to “hard-working” employee who was killed last week.  

Mthokozisi Ntumba was caught in the crossfire while leaving a medical facility in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, when police were allegedly trying to disperse protesting students.  

Ntumba has worked for the Tshwane metro for five years as a human settlements planner responsible for the formalisation of informal settlements (township establishment) programme.  

Colleagues described him as “hard-working, inquisitive and humble”.  

“The town planning fraternity has lost a bright and progressive young town planner who still had so much to contribute and offer,” said group head for human settlements Nonto Memela.  

“Many have lost a friend.”   Ntumba was said to be very popular among the communities he worked with and very likable.  

A colleague Takalani Mulidi who worked side by side with Ntumba said the memories they shared working together would not be forgotten.  

“Tshwane is a big metro with informal settlements that sometimes pop up and we made it our job as colleagues to share ideas on how they would be formalised,” Mulidi said.  

“There was an understanding between us that with these little moments that we shared in conversation we would share experiences and get to know each other. We loved one another.  

“His death really hurts”  

Honouring Ntumba, his brother Sanele said his death left a void that would never be filled.

He said his brother was assertive when he needed to be, but cared immensely for him and his family.

“It’s going to be hard without him. It’s not going to be easy at all,” he said.

“Where he has left, we will continue.”

Meanwhile, four police officers appeared before the Johannesburg magistrate’s court in connection with Ntumba’s murder.  

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