'Tears fall when we pass area where he died': Family of man killed in July 2021 unrest

Nearly three years after the July unrest that swept South Africa, the family of one of the victims of the violence are still reeling from the pain of their loss.

The heartbroken Bhengu family has many unanswered questions on what led to their son's death. 

Lindani Bhengu, 20, bled to death after being struck in the thigh by a stray bullet in Dobsonville, Soweto.

He had spent the day indoors watching movies on his laptop and left the house at about 7pm when his friends called him to join a crowd of more than 200 people gathered at the Dobsonville Mall.

The family was told that Lindani refused to join the crowd as they looted shops and stood a distance from them. While standing there, he was hit by a bullet.

His aunt, Ntombi Bhengu learnt of his death when she heard President Cyril Ramaphosa read out his name among those who had died in the riots in his address to the nation. 

“Even today, it is still unbelievable. Those who were travelling with him told us that he remained behind and said he was afraid and told them not to go.

“We don't have answers of what happened, we are trying to get answers from the police but we don't get that, we are blank. We just know that he was shot, died and that's it,” she said.

“The family was broken, we cannot find peace, maybe if we find those answers of how he was shot — something — what he did. His mother has lost weight and she cries asking what her son did. She is still not coping, we don't even have money to take her for counselling, we have nothing,” Ntombi said.

“It's like something that just happened now, his mother and grandmother depend on pills to sleep.

“I feel bad that no-one from government came to us to say sorry — even though it was not them who took out these children and said they should go on the streets. If something has happened, you go visit the bereaved families to show support. We had to see to things ourselves.”

Ntombi said the scene where Lindani died still traumatises his siblings.

“I told them not to show me the spot where he died. At home we don't like Dobsonville, we don't like it because of the trauma with Lindani, he is no longer here because of Dobsonville. His siblings, always when they pass the scene, they cry.”

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