South Africa

UNMOTHERLY CITY

Dumisani Joxo, shot by Cape Town law enforcement officer, remembered as kind-hearted and well-loved at memorial

Dumisani Joxo, shot by Cape Town law enforcement officer, remembered as kind-hearted and well-loved at memorial
Christin Coleridge (in black jacket and white shirt) cries during the memorial service of her partner Dumisani Joxo on Friday 14 January 2022. Photo: Suné Payne, Daily Maverick

Friends and family of Dumisani Joxo have described him as ‘Mr Speakerbox’ and a pillar. Joxo was killed during an altercation between a law enforcement official and a member of his group last weekend.

“My pillar is not here anymore,” said Mzwanele Joxo during a memorial service for his brother Dumisani in Rondebosch, Cape Town on Friday, 14 January. 

The killing of Joxo, a homeless man who was staying in a small camp on Chester Road in Rondebosch in Cape Town’s southern suburbs, made headlines as reports emerged he was shot during an altercation between a law enforcement official and a member of his group. Joxo was shot in the face by the official. 

Read in Daily Maverick: ‘People are really broken,’ says homeless community after fatal shooting by City of Cape Town police official

When the shots went off on Sunday, 9 January, resident of the settlement Christopher Ceaser said everyone ran and people started crying. “He passed away on the scene,” said Ceaser during the memorial service. Ceaser started crying after relaying the story to around 50 mourners. 

The memorial service had been held by the dwellers of the settlement, with assistance from human rights organisation Ndifuna Ukwazi. 

Mzwanele Joxo speaks during the memorial service of his brother Dumisani who was killed on Sunday 9 January in Rondebosch, Cape Town. Photo: Suné Payne, Daily Maverick

Mourners, including Portia Ncoko described Joxo as a leader and a friend. Ncoko said Joxo was known as “Mr Speakerbox”, as one could always hear him coming by the music he played on his speakerbox. Ncoko said Joxo’s death was something she would struggle to find peace with. 

Joxo’s younger brother, Mzwanele told the mourners that their father would always talk about how naughty Dumisani was – “he used to beat him too much” he said as members of the Joxo family laughed. Joxo said his brother, while he did not have a home or assets, he was a constant. “To me, he was my pillar.” 

Joxo said his brother was kind-hearted and caring, and if “Dumisani had a small piece of chicken, he would share it with you”, adding those who knew him, loved and cared for him. “My pillar is not here anymore,” said Joxo, who paused several times during his speech to collect himself.

“My heart is broken – my big brother is taken away from me,” said Joxo. 

Dumisani Joxo was described as pillar and ‘Mr Speakerbox’ during a memorial service in his honour on Friday 14 January 2022. Photo: Suné Payne, Daily Maverick

Referring to Luvolwethu Kati, the law enforcement official accused of killing his brother, Joxo asked, “are you sitting there, thinking about him… You are happy living your life with your friends, what about us?”

Joxo said he had forgiven the person responsible for his brother’s death but, “I will never forget you Dumisani Joxo”. 

No details have yet been confirmed of funeral arrangements. 

Joxo leaves behind his son Coleridge, his mother in the Eastern Cape and other family. DM

Gallery

Comments - Please in order to comment.

  • Brandon VE says:

    As an aside, that camp is a location for drug dealing, public drug use, rape and prostitution. This has been having a knock on effect on crime to other residents in the area.
    When someone takes tik they become extremely aggressive. A night and day difference is seen in the demeanour of a person. So someone you might see begging outside your house would be a very different person under the influence.
    Tik is also a bit like Viagra in causing an erection that just doesn’t go away.. literally for hours. This is why there are rapes in this location and incidentally other public displays of indecency. Users have been arrested in the area masturbating while joggers and walkers move past.

    On another note, the incident itself is on par with the incident that sparked the entire BLM movement. Surprising it hasn’t been used in the same way but perhaps that will come.

    • Coen Gous says:

      That’s your verson…but even if your claim of drug abuse and all the other things are true, a homeless person was killed in cold blood, by a law enforcement officer, for simply trying to make a pot of mealie pap. And you defend this killing. Mate, carry on living your wealthy life in Rondebosch, but I have no respect for people who defend blatant law enforcement killers, especially for killing homeless people. You have not got one piece of evidence that this Joxo person was a drug addict and/r a rapist. They become like that mostly because of severe poverty, and whose fault is that?

Please peer review 3 community comments before your comment can be posted

X

This article is free to read.

Sign up for free or sign in to continue reading.

Unlike our competitors, we don’t force you to pay to read the news but we do need your email address to make your experience better.


Nearly there! Create a password to finish signing up with us:

Please enter your password or get a sign in link if you’ve forgotten

Open Sesame! Thanks for signing up.

We would like our readers to start paying for Daily Maverick...

…but we are not going to force you to. Over 10 million users come to us each month for the news. We have not put it behind a paywall because the truth should not be a luxury.

Instead we ask our readers who can afford to contribute, even a small amount each month, to do so.

If you appreciate it and want to see us keep going then please consider contributing whatever you can.

Support Daily Maverick→
Payment options

Every seed of hope will one day sprout.

South African citizens throughout the country are standing up for our human rights. Stay informed, connected and inspired by our weekly FREE Maverick Citizen newsletter.