Dr Koboka 'a light of love for humanity, guardian angel whose spirit lives in us'

Those of us in Diepkloof and Soweto who mourn and feel sorrow will do so only because we have been deeply hurt, humiliated, insulted and disappointed by the brutal murder, horrifying violence and profound community tragedy that has befallen us.

We shall mourn and lament Dr Musa George “Moops” Koboka, even though our souls and spirits are fatigued by the unnecessary self-destructive violence and death that haunts and plagues our community.

We are convinced that there is so much deep-seated self-hate and destruction among some black men, that our self-sacrificing professionals are under siege and face assault with intention to harm and kill from other black men.

Diepkloof is a volatile township that has been in the forefront to deliver freedom and democracy in SA. The list of heroes it has produced is endless. But the continued violence and brutal murder of Dr Koboka and other professionals is an indictment on all of us.

We all know who the criminals in our midst are. They rape, steal, murder and peddle drugs. We must make it clear that we neither want this violence nor approve of this thuggish behaviour.

The question is: What is to be done? Who are we going to call when we are threatened and murdered by our own men, brothers, uncles, nephews and cousins?

We are a community, yet the feeling and pain of abandonment and loneliness is too much to bear.

To ease the trauma, we shall find ways to cherish the memory of Dr K, to celebrate his life.

He was a man, a human and professional who loved his people and community. In fact, he was an angel among us. Nay, a Messiah and a Healer.

We, the people of Diepkloof and Soweto, have lost a modern-day hero. He was a true People's Doctor and professional leader who taught us the meaning of self-sacrifice, service and suffering. Thus wherever we are in Diepkloof, and every part of the country, we must know that we are not alone in our pain, trauma and loss.

We are ready to rebuild our broken pieces to honour the love, peace, joy and happiness that he brought to the community. We refuse to be defeated by the madness and short-sightedness of criminals.

We are not afraid and believe we shall ultimately win, for we have run and worked too hard to get where we are.

Dr Koboka, among others, was an example of what it means to transcend your history and background to live your dreams, to be a person who is truly human and, above all, loved by a community, to give without expecting anything in return.

We see his death as a monumental loss. We also see that his spirit lives in us. He is our guardian angel, now. In his light, we shall see a light of love for humanity. The blind shall see.

Even before his body is buried, we know that such a man does not die. He may be buried in the soil and we be told, “dust to dust”. But we know and are happy that his soul and spirit lies in our hearts, souls and mind.

We were blessed as a community to have such a man. He loved us more than we loved ourselves.

To the family and friends, you are not alone. We shall always remember his spirit.

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