'He was a father to me and my team' - Sakhumzi pays tribute to slain manager he has known since high school

Sakhumzi Maqubela is today mourning the father figure who taught him at school before joining him in business to make a success of his Soweto restaurant.

He described his former general manager‚ who was shot and killed by robbers in the early hours of Sunday morning‚ as someone who had versatile skills that ensured his business boomed.

"The deceased was here as one of our training facilitators and he had great leadership skills.

"He used to be my teacher in high school and because of his leadership skills‚ I decided that if he's not happy to be doing teaching in the Eastern Cape he can come and grow with us as Sakhumzi Restaurant‚" said Maqubela.

• Sakhumzi Maqubela thankful for support in dark timesSakhumzi Maqubela‚ owner of Sakhumzi Restaurant in popular Vilikazi street‚ Soweto‚ has thanked the public for an outpouring of support for him and his staff after one of his managers was shot dead in the early hours of Sunday morning.

He was speaking to TMG Digital inside the restaurant as a staff meeting was under way on Monday morning.

"He wasn't just a father to me‚ he was also a father to the staff members and he was one of our champions that we believed in and trusted.

"When people had situations and challenges‚ they used to feel free and go to him. We will always miss him‚" said Maqubela‚ who looked very distraught.

Maqubela also divulged the extent of his trust in his manager: "I knew that if I leave him here‚ the business will be running smoothly and professionally".

• Murder and business robberies are soaring in Sakhumzi's SowetoThe murder of a manager at Sakhumzi restaurant on the world famous Vilikazi Street in Soweto at the weekend highlights a decade-long trend of increasing violent crime in the police precinct of Orlando.

His remarks come as three suspects are on the run in connection with the murder of the 60-year-old man at one of South Africa's top tourist destinations in the early hours of Sunday.

The victim cannot be named as not all of his next of kin have been informed as yet.

"This is a loss to the restaurant‚ a loss to the family and a loss to tourism because with the right people and the right skills‚ we are able to take our businesses to the next level. Businesses are not growing because there's no capacity of trained professionals working in our organisations‚ so this is really a loss‚" added Maqubela.

The manager officially joined the restaurant in 2015 after a career teaching at Cofimvaba Primary School as well as the Daliwonga High School in Covimvaba‚ Eastern Cape.

• Gunmen kill manager at top Soweto restaurant SakhumziOne of the managers of Sakhumzi restaurant in Vilikazi Street‚ Soweto‚ was shot and killed in the early hours of Sunday morning.

According to the owner‚ the deceased was originally from Ghana but he has been in South Africa for over 30 years‚ which allowed him to get South African citizenship.

Maqubela told TMG Digital that preparations are being made to repatriate his body to Ghana‚ but he will await guidance from the family.