Limpopo premier Stanley Mathabatha has proposed that the Flora Park dam in Polokwane should be named after Thorisho Themane.

Thorisho was buried on Saturday in an emotionally charged funeral.

Mathabatha indicated his wish to have the dam named after Themane as a way of remembering the brutal manner in which the 28-year-old was attacked and dragged through the streets of Flora Park.

Themane was found at the park on Sunday last week and taken to hospital where he later died. Speaking to Sowetan yesterday, Mathabatha said he had made the proposal to Polokwane mayor Thembi Nkadimeng for the dam to be named after Themane.

 “It is true that my wish is for the dam to be named the Thorisho Themane Dam. It is through naming the dam after Themane that many people will remember him for years to come,” said Mathabatha.

He said, however, that the proposal needed to go through the normal council sitting of the municipality where it would be tabled and adopted as a resolution.

“I've made the proposal also mindful of the fact that the naming of things should also go through the Limpopo Geographical Names Changes Committee. And should the name be adopted, it would be a good thing for the province and Thorisho's name would not be forgotten,” he said.

Thorisho's father, Mahlapahlapana Themane, said the family would  welcome the gesture in his son’s memory.

“The naming of the dam after Thorisho would go a long way in making sure that his name is remembered. It will also help us heal the wounds in our hearts, knowing that our son did not die in vain,” he said.

The chief executive officer of AfroMendez Media - a company dealing with graphic designs, Tshepo Maponya - said they would give the Themane family a custom-made painting of Thorisho, autographed by artists and musicians, as a contribution on behalf of all artists, musicians and creative commons who were touched by the death.