A crowd of 30,000 attended the funeral of South Africa�s national football team captain Senzo Meyiwa in his hometown of Durban today.
The 27-year-old goalkeeper was shot dead last Sunday (October 26) after intruders entered his girlfriend�s house near Johannesburg.
The funeral took place at the Moses Mabhida Stadium as many of the mourners wore tee-shirts on which a picture of Meyiwa was printed.
Jacob Zuma, President of South Africa, ordered the national flag to be flown at half-mast as a mark of respect while the scheduled match between Meyiwa�s club, Orlando Pirates, and the Kaiser Chiefs was postponed.
Authorities also announced that the South African national team would play their next Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Sudan in Durban.
James Nxumalo, the Mayor of Durban, led the addresses at the ceremony before Meyiwa�s coffin was taken to the nearby Heroes Acre at Chesterville cemetery for a private burial.
�Death is a thief that has stolen a bright shining light from the nation,� said Nxumalo
�The entire nation is crying.
�We have all lost.
�Our condolences to Orlando Pirates and Bafana Bafana.
�Our hearts are bleeding.�
A suspect, 25-year-old Zenokuhle Mbatha, was charged with Meyiwa�s murder yesterday, and is scheduled to appear in court on November 11.
The South African Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula said: �We�ve got every reason to be angry about Senzo.
�Justice is grinding and we will find them.
�We will never rest until we find all of them.�
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