Eastern Cape premier Oscar Mabuyane has called on South Africans not to declare war, but to unite over the death of East London's Anele Hoyana.

Mabuyane was addressing hundreds of mourners who paid their last respects to the slain man at the Hoyana homestead in Kwelerha on Saturday.

Hoyana was bludgeoned to death by Brakfontein farmer Fritz Joubert. The brutal killing, posted on social media by Joubert, sent shock waves around the world.

Mabuyane said: “Let's not declare war. Instead, let us unite. Taking a person's life so easily is unacceptable. This is the most painful experience and so I want to encourage the Hoyana family and Kwelerha community to keep strong. I want to say to the family, we are deeply sorry. May the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, be with you always.”

Nkosi Phatekile Holomisa was among the hundreds of mourners who laid Hoyana to rest.

He was buried at his Kwelerha home surrounded by family and friends, including his parents, Xhantilomzi and Tenjiwe, his siblings, Olwethu, Unathi and Iviwe, his fiancée, Babalwa, and their three children.

An emotional Olwethu said his younger brother had yet to fulfil his dreams and aspirations of becoming a game farmer, among other things.

“He had just registered a company and was working towards a game farming project. Anele had canvassed a network of contacts from tourism to do a site inspection and get the ball rolling.

“My brother was a strong family man, who was protective of his loved ones,” he said, adding that the man he saw on the videos on social media was a different Anele.

“After his wife and children's lives were put in danger, the Anele we know would have fought tooth and nail. The videos show an Anele who was trapped, an Anele we didn't recognise,” he said.

Olwethu described Joubert as having “racist tendencies”. 

“Anele was not training Fritz to be a sangoma, as has been commonly reported. Anele frequented Fritz's farm daily as he was working towards the gaming project with Fritz. Because he was spending a lot of time there, Anele took his family to stay on Fritz's premises.

“On Friday November 29, Anele and Fritz attended a celebration around the village. On the way there, Anele told Fritz he and his family would be leaving and returning home. 

“Fritz ignored Anele. Babalwa said they had a number of arguments that night, where Anele confronted Fritz about his erratic behaviour. Fritz had racist tendencies and those came out when he was addressing Anele and other locals,” Olwethu said.

“In the videos on social media Fritz talks about disrespect because Anele had called him out on his behaviour.”

Olwethu recalled the horrifying moment of identifying his brother's body. He said he noticed more than 10 deep lacerations on Anele's face from the butt of Fritz's rifle.

He said the butt had broken off as a result of the repeated assault.

“I am not sure what kind of anger or hatred would possess a man to bludgeon a person who was already down and couldn't fight,” he said.

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