South Africa's football captain Senzo Meyiwa
has died after being shot during a burglary,
police say.
He was reportedly attacked after men entered his
girlfriend's house in Vosloorus, south of
Johannesburg.
His agent described him as a humble man from a
tough background who had become a "hero in
everyone's eyes".
The 27-year-old was the goalkeeper for Orlando
Pirates and had played in South Africa's last four
Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
On Saturday, he was in action for his club, when they
progressed to the semi-finals of the South African
League Cup, beating Ajax Cape Town 4-1.
Reward offered
In a statement, the South African Police Service said
two men had entered the house, around 20:00
(18:00 GMT), demanding mobiles phones and
valuables. A third man remained outside.
Reports said Meyiwa may have been trying to
defend his girlfriend, Kelly Khumalo
All three fled on foot after shots were fired.
The footballer may have been trying to defend his
girlfriend Kelly Khumalo, a South African singer and
celebrity, when he was shot, reports said.
He was declared dead on arrival at hospital.
Police said on Sunday evening that they were
breaking protocol to announce his death so soon
after the shooting.
Relatives and fans gathered outside the hospital and
Ms Khumalo's house to grieve over Meyiwa's death.
National shock - by Milton Nkosi, BBC News,
Johannesburg
The whole nation is mourning the passing of a
national football hero. Radio and TV chat shows are
clogged with callers expressing their shock and
dismay. And I must declare personal interest right
from the onset - Orlando Pirates has been my team
since growing up in Soweto.
His shooting brings into sharp focus the wider issues
of gun crime in South Africa, particularly so soon
after the marathon trial of athlete Oscar Pistorius,
who says he shot dead his girlfriend by mistake,
fearing there was an intruder in the house.
South Africa is asking itself deep questions about the
cancer of violence that has killed some of its best
talent. It was seven years ago this month that
renowned reggae singer Lucky Dube was killed in a
robbery. The question in many people's minds is:
granted there is crime all over the world, but why is it
that here in South Africa violence is so gratuitous?
South African President Jacob Zuma said in a
statement on Monday: "We mourn the death of this
young footballer and team leader whose life has been
taken away at the prime of his career. Words cannot
express the nation's shock at this loss."
Members of Kelly Khumalo's family arrived at her
home on Monday morning
Senzo Meyiwa began playing for Orlando Pirates in
2005 and went on to captain the national team
Ephraim Mashaba, head coach of South Africa's
football team wept during a news conference called
on Monday in response to the footballer's death.
'Senzo is everything'
"Senzo was a very kind person," he said. "I have
never seen Senzo being sad or angry in the camp."
Urging Meyiwa's team-mates and colleagues to stay
strong, he added: "Senzo is a team player, Senzo is
everything."
His words were echoed by South Africa midfielder
Dean Furman who told the BBC that Meyiwa was
"just the nicest guy you could wish to meet".
President Jacob Zuma (here with Meyiwa in 2013)
said words could not express the nation's shock
Investigators worked outside the scene of the
shooting in the Vosloorus township on Monday
"It's tragic, so sad", Furman added. "He has a young
family so there's more to it than losing a footballer.
Someone's lost a dad."
Meyiwa's agent Mike Makaab called the death "a
huge shock", saying that Meyiwa was "really a hero
in everybody's eyes".
Team mate Tsepo Masilela was among many voicing
their shock at the news on social media.
"How do you kill someone for a cellphone?" he
tweeted, saying the whole country was at a loss.
"When does it STOP South Africa?" wrote Darren
Keet, the national team's number two goalkeeper.
Gun violence
Senzo Meyiwa started playing for Orlando Pirates,
based in the Parktown district of Johannesburg, in
2005.
"This is a sad loss whichever way you look at it, to
Senzo's family, his extended family, Orlando Pirates
and to the nation,'' said Pirates' chairman Irvin
Khoza.
His death is the second blow to South Africa's
sporting community in three days. On Friday, former
800m world champion runner Mbulaeni Mulaudzi was
killed in a car crash.
The shooting has once again highlighted South
Africa's high crime rates and problems with gun
violence.
Between April 2013 and March 2014, more than
17,000 people were murdered in South Africa, an
increase of about 5% since the previous year,
according to police figures.
Are you in South Africa? What is your reaction
to the death of Senzo Meyiwa? You can send
your comments to haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk

Source: http//www..bbc.com/news/world-africa-29781978