Things were finally looking up for 24-year-old Bulelani Isaac Sizane. After months of looking for a job, he was set to start one this week at a Klerksdorp fast-food outlet.
Instead, on Thursday, his mother, Sarah, had to scrub his blood off the paving in the garden where he had collapsed the previous day after being shot, allegedly by police, during violent protests in the North West town of Jouberton.
A neighbour dug up the paving stone and the soil underneath it for her to take home to the Free State as a memento of her slain son.
Bulelani had moved to Jouberton at the end of January to look for work.
"Blood is life," said relatives, explaining why Sarah would take the stone where her son had collapsed and bled.
Bulelani died about an hour after being shot. He was not seen to immediately as Tshepong Hospital was severely short-staffed because National Health Education and Allied Workers Union protesters and "criminal elements" had denied doctors and nurses entry.
On Wednesday, he was in the yard of a house in Jouberton Extension 19, outside Klerksdorp. The house is about 300m from Tower Mall, where looters had smashed windows and stolen goods that day.
Protesters were running through the streets when the shooting took place, but Bulelani's family are adamant he was not taking part in the looting.
Family and witnesses said police fired shots, and Bulelani was hit.
A boy who lived in the house said: "I saw the policeman on the corner and then he shot him from there and he [Bulelani] fell down. When he fell he didn't say anything."
Family spokesman and cousin Palesa Mbanxa said: "This boy [Bulelani] was killed because of Supra [Mahumapelo, premier of North West]." She was adamant he was not part of the "mob".
"If his mother is not working, how is she going to bury her child? She only had one child. He was supposed to look after her. That is why she gave him an education. He had technical training from a college in Sasolburg."Bulelani's cousin and some men fleeing from the police carried him down the street, calling for an ambulance. Residents were afraid to drive during the protest, but found a car to take him to hospital.
Two doctors were flown to the hospital by helicopter on Wednesday morning and three were still in the hospital after their night shift. This meant there were five doctors instead of the usual 30 on duty when Bulelani arrived.
Professor Ebrahim Variava said on Wednesday it was impossible to say if the gunshot patient would have survived if he had received prompt medical attention. He confirmed the patient was not attended to immediately because of the shortage of staff.
Independent Police Investigative Directorate spokesman Moses Dlamini said Ipid was investigating the death.
"The postmortem will take place next week.
"There will also be a scene reconstruction next week.
"Some statements have been obtained."..