By end of today, the family of the murdered car guard Vusi Mgiqwa will have at least R50,000 in their name after Gauteng education MEC Panyaza Lesufi offered more money than what was promised by the man accused of the crime.

Sowetan reported on Monday that Lukas Van der Merwe, the man accused to killing Mgiqwa, offered to pay his family about R50,000. Van der Merwe used this offer as part of his plea bargain to the director of public prosecution for him to get a lesser sentence.

However, the move angered Lesufi who took his frustrations to Twitter.

“This one, allegedly killed a car guard and then offers R50K to the family so that the court can be lenient. I’ve decided together with my friends to donate R50K to the family so that they can return the ‘blood money’ to the alleged killer,” he tweeted.

Lesufi confirmed to Sowetan that he will be meeting the family later this afternoon to give them the R50,000 so that they do not have to take Van der Merwe’s money.

Other Twitter users joined in, wanting to increase Lesufi’s offer to the family.

Thabiso Sithole tweeted: “Will make contact with Jabulile [Mgiqwa’s sister] as well & see if some of my friends can help push that amount up a little further.”

Mgiqwa died in hospital last year from head injuries he suffered after Van Der Merwe punched him during an altercation over parking outside a restaurant in Selcourt, Springs. Mgiqwa fell on his head and was left unconscious. He was the sole breadwinner.

During his bail application, Van der Merwe denied killing Mgiqwa, but admitted to punching on the night of the incident.

Jabulile told Sowetan that life had not been easy after losing a breadwinner at their home in Tsakane. Jabulile was forced to leave her social grant card with a loan shark in order to get money to bury her twin sister who died at the end of May.