Tears of angst tore through the crematorium this morning, March 24, as family and friends bid a bitter farewell to Hongwei Tang.
Her life was cut short after being shot six times on the N11, five kilometres outside of Ladysmith.
Mrs Tang’s dreams of touring South Africa were left unfulfilled, and her family left with a dark void in their lives.
“My mother was such a kind woman and she was so good to her family, friends and colleagues,” weeped Hanbing Xie, Mrs Tang’s daughter.
Ms Xie arrived in South Africa, a few days after her mother’s murder, to attend the funeral which has left her devastated.
“My mother came to South Africa two weeks ago with her friends. She was so excited to be here and said she loved the feel of the country, and then this happens,” she cried.
Ms Xie explained that while she was in China at the time of the murder, the situation was explained to her.
“My mother and her friends were travelling with Chungshen Yu to Durban. Just outside of Ladysmith, a car pulled in front of them and four men jumped out with guns and robbed them.”
During the robbery, the men shot Mrs Tang six times and Mr Yu, a local businessman, three times.
Mrs Tang succumbed to her wounds shortly after the shooting, while Mr Yu is still fighting for his life in the Intensive Care Unit in Ladysmith Provincial Hospital.
According to family, Mrs Tang was allegedly shot after refusing to hand over her handbag to the men.
“All the passports were in her bag and she did not want to hand it over at first,” Ms Xie said.
Mrs Tang worked at a university in Shangai since 1975, retiring seven years ago to enjoy a life of travel.
“She really loved to travel and went to Europe, Korea, Japan and America.”
Her passion for travelling ending with grave consequences shortly after arriving in South Africa.
“I don’t feel safe here, and I feel the police and the South African government have an obligation to catch the killers and bring them to justice. I also feel the government should do their utmost best to ensure the safety of Chinese residents,” said Ms Xie.
Horrified by her mother’s death, Ms Xie said the incident portrayed South Africa in a bad light.
“After it all happened, the story was broadcast all over the Chinese news,” she said.
As Ms Xie prepares to travel back to China, she thanked Alex Liu from the Chinese Chamber of Commerce and the Chinese community.
“They have supported my father and I throughout this period and helped us tremendously in making the funeral arrangements. I just want to thank everyone for their assistance,” Ms Xie concluded.
