Kela was an upcoming leader

“He loved children and was always smiling.”

That is how Mr Zukiswa Kela (25) will be remembered by his church.

One of the church elders, Mr Amos Mabizela, said Mr Kela was an upcoming and promising leader.

Mr Kela and his friend were assaulted and thrown into the Rhodes Park lake by a gang of 12 men on Saturday, October 17, just before 7pm.

The gang also raped one of the two women Mr Kela and his friend were with.

“We lost an upcoming leader and a member of our youth. His passion is irreplaceable.

“We lost one of our formidable solders of the gospel. He had characteristics showing that when the time comes, he would be a great leader.

“He was among those who would open the church. When arriving at church, you knew you would see him with his specs,” said Mr Mabizela.

Mr Zukiswa Nkothana, the spokesperson of the Kela family, said they lost one of the pillars of the family.

Mr Kela had paid the lobola for his fiancé on the 25th of last month.

“We lost a dear brother. Mr Kela and his fiancé were in the middle of their wedding preparations.

“My brother was born on July 7, 1990, in the Eastern Cape. He moved to Johannesburg. He was working as a teacher at Westbury High School at the time of his death. We lost a dear brother,” he said.

Mr Kela was buried on Sunday at the West Park Cemetery, after a funeral service which was held at the Seventh Day Adventist church in the Johannesburg CBD.

At the time of going to print, the family of the other man who died with Mr Kela wanted more time to discuss the events before giving information to the media.