A sea of maroon stretched across a Stellenbosch school hall on Saturday, as mourners gathered to bury soccer prodigy Oshwin Andries who died earlier this month – a week after he was stabbed during a bar brawl.
The 19-year-old was described as a legend-in-the-making who “punched above his weight” during his stint as a midfielder for the maroon-branded Stellenbosch Football Club.
More than 100 mourners gathered at Rietenbosch Primary School where his maroon casket took centre stage.
Oshwin was stabbed during a fight at a Klapmuts tavern on January 29. He died six days later en-route to Paarl Hospital.
In a moving tribute, his older brother Lee-Irwin Andries remembered his sibling as someone who had staying power.
"How do I say goodbye when I know you had a bright future ... had so many dreams (and) much more to achieve," said Lee-Irwin as he chocked back tears.
"You had staying power, your endurance was something I adored. I will remember what you always said, 'I am doing everything I do for us, for mommy,'“ he said.
One of Oshwin's coaches, police officer Sergeant Jason Rhode, gave an emotional speech about the young player before honouring him with a salute.
"He had immense talent, I have known him since he was 10 years old. I am not going to lie and say he was a calm and tender-hearted person, because he was rough and tough and had an attitude, as we all here know," he said.
"But that was proof of how persistent he was and that he always pushed and fought his way open.
"His agent was brokering a deal for him to play in Belgium, but sadly this will now never materialise."
His mother, Natasha, previously gave details of her son's death in an emotional interview with Weekend Argus.
Natasha said she was preparing to sleep when she heard someone shouting outside, telling her that her son had been stabbed.
The 47-year-old said by the time she got to the scene, her son had already been loaded into an ambulance and was rushed to hospital, but was later discharged.
Six days later, his mother rushed him to Paarl hospital, where he died.
“He was leaning on my chest and gripping my hand and that was the last time I felt his hold on me. His hand was still warm but his feet were already cold. I was praying the whole time the car was rushing to the hospital, it was like The Fast and the Furious.
“His death is painful. You can feel the void he left in the house.”
Meanwhile, the alleged perpetrator’s relatives fled their family home after they heard of the soccer player’s death and tried to have him handed over to police, but he was not detained.
Police spokesperson Joseph Swartbooi said an arrest was imminent.
While Oshwin’s family are still coming to terms with his death, other sports players were also murdered in the province this month.
An 18-year-old local soccer player, Niyaaz Patterson, was gunned down in Muizenberg this week.
“Muizenberg police are investigating a case of murder after they attended a shooting incident in Military Road, Military Heights on Thursday, at about 6.40pm,” said police spokesperson Joseph Swartbooi.
“On their arrival they discovered the body of an 18-year-old man, who died as a result of a gunshot wound. No arrests has been made as yet.”
A rugby player, Boutros "Boelie" May, was killed in a stabbing incident in Oudtshoorn last week Sunday.
A 24-year-old woman has since been arrested in connection with his death.
Police spokesperson Captain FC Van Wyk said: “Oudtshoorn police are investigating a murder case following a stabbing incident early this morning (last week Sunday) at about 3am in front of a night club in St Johns Street, Oudtshoorn, where a 30-year-old man was stabbed and fatally wounded.”
Weekend Argus