WHEN Thulane Motaung (38) was buried on Saturday morning, his township came to a standstill.
Thulane’s friend threw a graveside funeral party to remember.
When Thulane’s coffin arrived at the graveyard in Block VV, Soshanguve, Tshwane, there was no hearse required. His body arrived in the back of the blue Toyota Venture that he had driven until the day he died.
His friends gave him a guard of honour and kissed the brown and gold coffin, bidding him goodbye in style.
“We love you, Thulane!” they said one by one.
The taxi driver died from food poisoning last Sunday.
His sister, Nhlanhla Motaung (29), said she didn’t know why Thulane was poisoned, but she knew who did it because she is a sangoma.
“I won’t do anything to that person.
“The truth will come out in time,” she said.
After the funeral service at his house in Section 3, the procession went to the graveyard, where the party started.
Women twerked and mourners danced on top of spinning taxis as loud music boomed across the graveyard.
As the coffin was lowered, Thulane’s friends sang De Mogul SA’s Oe Batla Kae and poured whiskey and beer into his grave.
Relatives acknowledged the service was more of a party than a funeral.
Rose Letswalo, Thulani’s neighbour, said it was exactly the type of send-off Thulane would have wanted.
“Thulane must be happy wherever he is. He was a party animal.”
The after tears party was held in his kasi, with taxi drivers pumping out loud music from their vehicles and young women dancing on the road.