COVER: Funeral: Mourners say goodbye to fallen Meyiwa

Durban. Thousands of weeping South Africans wearing red or black football jerseys said farewell to murdered national team goalkeeper and captain Senzo Meyiwa at a packed stadium in the Indian Ocean city of Durban.

The mood was in part sombre, with red-eyed fans sobbing or blowing into tissues as a hearse carrying the 27-year-old’s flag-draped coffin drove around the stadium, and at times festive as they blew vuvuzela horns and sang soccer chants.

Those in attendance at the service - held at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban - included Meyiwa’s widow, politicians, footballers, celebrities and members of the general public who wished to pay their respects to the much-loved player.

South Africa has been in mourning for the past week after the popular national team player and captain was shot dead during a botched robbery at his girlfriend’s home last Sunday.

Kaizer Motaung, the founder of the Kaizer Chiefs, the main rivals to the Orlando Pirates club Meyiwa played for said: ‘Lest we forget, this is not the first time that an icon of this nature departs in the fashion that Senzo departed.’

Thousands of people braved drizzling rain in the 85,000 seater stadium, a short distance from the Umhlazi township where Meyiwa was born.

Most of the crowd wore the Pirates’ red or black colours but there was also a sprinkling of the yellow worn by the Chiefs.

Team mates and mourners wiped away tears as they watched video clips showing father of three Meyiwa training, diving to make saves, or pumping his arms in celebration of a win

South Africans turned out in huge numbers in Durban on Saturday for the funeral of national football captain and goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa, who was murdered last weekend.

Meyiwa, who had just turned 27, was gunned down by an intruder while visiting his pop star girlfriend south-east of Johannesburg in a crime that shocked the nation.

Family and friends were joined by government members and the top names in South African football among a crowd of 30,000 at the funeral ceremony at Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium, broadcast live on television.

The crowd fell silent and many wept as Meyiwa’s coffin, shrouded in the national flag, was driven into the stadium in a white SUV, followed by members of his club the Orlando Pirates and top officials.

“Death is a thief that has stolen a bright shining light from the nation”, Durban mayor James Nxumalo told the ceremony.

“The entire nation is crying. We have all lost. Our condolences to Orlando Pirates and Bafana Bafana (the nickname for South Africa’s national team). “Our hearts are bleeding.”

The goalkeeper had grown up in Umlazi, a township near Durban on the Indian Ocean coast. He was to be buried in the afternoon at the Heroes Acre at Chesterville cemetery, which is usually reserved for martyrs of the struggle against apartheid.

Also attending his funeral were the country’s football federation head Danny Jordaan and Senzo Mchunu, head of the government of Kwazulu-Natal, the province where Meyiwa was born, which has decreed a period of mourning.

Meyiwa did not concede a goal in four recent Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers as South Africa defeated Sudan, defeated and drew with Congo Brazzaville and drew with defending champions Nigeria.

More than 17,000 people were killed in South Africa last year, but the slaying of a popular sporting hero has stunned even this crime-weary nation.

A 25-year old man, Zenokuhle Mbatha, was charged Friday with murder and armed robbery in connection with his killing, after being identified by witnesses.

A suspect appeared in court on Friday over the slaying of South African football captain Senzo Meyiwa, whose murder during a robbery shocked the nation, police and prosecutors said.

Twenty-five year old Zenokuhle Mbatha -- the first suspect to be arrested in the killing of the soccer star -- was charged with “murder and armed robbery”, National Prosecution Authority spokesman Nathi Mncube told AFP.

Mbatha was arrested after he was positively identified by some witnesses during an identity parade after police released identikits.

“It was decided that this person should be arrested and charged,” police spokesman Solomon Makgale said in a statement.

He appeared in court Friday afternoon and was remanded in custody until November 11 to allow him time to apply for legal aid. Police said investigations into other suspects continue. Meyiwa was gunned down last Sunday by an intruder while visiting his pop star girlfriend’s home some 30 kilometres (20 miles) south of Johannesburg, before making off with a cell phone.

More than 17,000 people were killed in South Africa last year, but the slaying of a popular sporting hero has stunned even this crime-weary nation.

- Robbed of talents -

On Thursday police denied reports that they had arrested two people linked to the murder.

President Jacob Zuma had ordered that the police to “leave no stone unturned in finding his killers” and bringing them to justice.

After many years in the shadows of national football in the country, Meyiwa had a meteoric rise to fame with the Premier Soccer league club Orlando Pirates.

The 27-year-old Durban-born talismanic captain of the national squad Bafana Bafana, led the team to victories over Sudan and Congo Brazzaville and draws with Nigeria, a country South Africa traditionally struggle against.

Meyiwa, will be buried Saturday at a special provincial shrine reserved for “heroes” in his coastal home city of Durban.

This was after Zuma declared that Meyiwa and former world 800-metre Olympic champion Mbulaeni Mulaudzi, who died in a car crash last week, be given “provincial official funerals”.

“The two sports stars have represented the nation exceptionally well in national and international sporting engagements, generating immense national pride and unity,” said Zuma.

“Their tragic passing has robbed us of the talents and contribution,” said Zuma. Zuma ordered that country’s flag be flown at half-mast in the respective provinces of eastern KwaZulu Natal and northern Limpopo on Saturday.

Crowds lined up the streets of Durban on Friday as Meyiwa’s body arrived in the city where a memorial service was attended by hundreds of mourners.

On Thursday thousands of South Africans jammed into a Johannesburg sports stadium at a combined memorial service to celebrate the lives of Meyiwa, Mulaudzi and a female professional boxer Phindile Mwelase who died last week after going into a coma following a fight.

The Africa Cup of Nations qualifier between South Africa and Sudan due on November 15, has been moved from the northeastern city of Nelspruit to Durban to honour slain captain. (AFP)