BOPHELONG – A 26-year-old man was killed on February 21 following a dispute during the Nedbank Cup match between Orlando Pirates and Casric Stars.

Tito Chilengue was allegedly hacked to death after a celebration at a local tavern turned into a fatal confrontation.

The incident began when Tito reportedly climbed onto a pool table during the match. Witnesses claim he became aggressive, allegedly dishing out hot claps to patrons who tried to reprimand his action.

The situation escalated into a fight, leaving Tito with a bleeding head when one of his enemies allegedly pelted a bottle on his head. Although relatives initially took him home and urged him to sleep, he later slipped out unnoticed to return to the area.

His family began a frantic search after discovering he was missing from his room. Shortly after, residents alerted them to a body found in a nearby bush, just a short distance from the tavern.

Speaking to Ster, Esther Mlambo, Tito’s cousin, described a grim scene: “There was blood all over the tavern, even on some walls in the township, showing that Tito bled severely after he was hacked.”

An eyewitness, speaking to the paper anonymously, said a group of men chased Tito but failed to find him when he vanished into the bush. “It was around 21:00 when I saw a man dive into the bush. When a couple of people came looking for him with weapons, I thought he was hiding from them; little did I know he was drawing his last breath,” the witness said.

Law enforcement officials cordoned off the area for investigation as dozens of bystanders gathered to watch the recovery of the body. The local police had not yet released a formal statement at the time of publication.