Sne Masuku

Sne Masuku

The family of a Limpopo man who was shot dead at a friend's wedding in Umlazi, outside Durban, cannot make head or tail as to why he was killed - at a wedding, so far away from home.

The deceased, Tsepo Mashego Lephalala, was one of the best men at the wedding. He was also an Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) official.

The incident happened on Saturday in U-section when armed men burst into the wedding ceremony and opened fire.

Lephalala was shot and injured, but died on arrival at a local hospital.

His brother Ezekiel said yesterday that they were putting their faith in the police to investigate the real motive behind his death.

"We do not know what to believe, nothing was taken from him or from anyone. And he was the only one that was shot during the incident. We really do not know what to believe," said the deceased's distraught brother.

Lephalala's body was brought back home yesterday, and the family is busy with funeral arrangements. He will be buried on Saturday.

No one has been arrested for his killing, Ezekiel said.

Superintendent Vincent Mdunge confirmed that Lephalala was best man at the wedding when he was shot.

No other injuries were reported and nothing was taken from guests, he said.

When asked what could be the motive behind the killing, Mdunge said: "The motive for the shooting was purely criminal because the (IEC) official was not even known in the area."

While Lephalala's family is trying to make sense of what it described as "a blur at the moment", the newly wed couple is on honeymoon.