Mourners streamed to marquees set up on a patch of land next to the highway past the informal settlement of Skielik on Saturday to bury three people killed there by a lone gunman last Monday.
Enoch Tshepo Motshelanoka (10) Keditlhotse Elizabeth Moiphitlhi (three-months) and her 31-year-old mother, Anna, were allegedly gunned down by Johan Nel (18).
The body of a fourth victim, Sivuyile Danani (35) was returned to his home in the Eastern Cape earlier in the week for burial.
The Motshelanoka family prayed, sang hymns were addressed by an elder in a private ceremony at their home in Skielik on Saturday morning.
A little way down the road, mourners surrounded the coffins of Moiphitlhi and her baby in their two-roomed shack, which was filled with wreaths and candles.
There was a heavy police presence at the marquees, where women stirred pots of food in readiness for the funerals.
”We have been preparing food from 2am this morning. There will be 4 000 to 5 000 people to feed,” said Joyce Rakola.
The women sat quietly and looked tearful when asked for their opinion about the tragic shooting.
”We can’t accept it. He is racist. That’s why he did it,” Rakola said of Nel.
”He must be treated like every other black prisoner. He must be put behind bars.”
The funeral was to have started at 7am.
It is expected that mourners will be addressed by Kgetleng River Municipality mayor Wilheminah Moleko and a representative of Mazista Intermediate School, where Motshelanoka was a pupil.
Messages of support were also expected to be delivered by the House of Traditional Leaders, the African National Congress, the Congress of South African Trade Unions, and the South African Communist Party.
The North West government has made a financial contribution to the funerals.
Angry protesters demonstrated outside the Swartruggens Magistrate’s Court during Nel’s appearance there on Thursday. The case was postponed until February 12.
It took police more than and hour to remove him from premises after the crowd broke through fencing around the court building. They pelted the vehicle carrying him with stones, newspapers and cans. – Sapa