SHARPEVILLE – The community of Sharpeville came to a standstill on Saturday as family, friends, and heartbroken classmates gathered to say a final goodbye to Thomas Sithole.
The Hoërskool Driehoek learner tragically lost his life following a private boat cruise on the Vaal River.
What was meant to be a day of leisure ended in a mystery that has left a local family shattered.
Sithole was reported missing shortly after the cruise ended.
A frantic search ensued and after two agonising days the teenager’s body drifted downstream towards the units conducting the operation.
The Roda Yende Community Hall was filled to capacity as mourners gathered to pay their respects to the matric pupil.
Dozens of speakers who took to the podium described the young man as a child who was full of love.
Speaking at the service, Sithole’s grandfather shared his pain, “I lost it when I heard the news. Thomas was a lovable child.”
Family friend Anke van der Schyff echoed these sentiments, describing Sithole as some special.
“He was always funny, always joking. He was a perfect child,” she told the media.
While the funeral provided a chance to say goodbye, many questions remain.
The exact circumstances of how Sithole ended up in the water are still unknown.
“Everybody just want answers to know what happened. The authorities are definitely dealing with it, and we will leave it in their hands. We have a lot of faith in them,” added Van der Schyff.
Sithole was laid to rest at the Three Rivers Cemetery.
