A 17-year-old klopse drummer has been stabbed to death in what his father believes was an act of jealousy.
Family and friends of Keanu Ferguson are still in shock after the teen was killed in the early hours of Sunday morning while his troupe, the Juvie Boy Entertainers, marched in the streets of Lentegeur.
The champion troupe had performed at the minstrel competition at Athlone
Stadium on Saturday.
Keanu, who was from Eastridge, was stabbed twice and rushed to hospital, where he passed away a few hours later.
His hartseer father, Paul Ferguson, 52, says his son was killed “for the same reason” his best friend Chad Arendse was killed in June last year.
TRAGIC: Keanu with murdered pal Chad Arendse (left)
Chad, 19, from Beacon Valley, was the drum major for the Littlewood Primary Drill Squad and the Western Province Marching Squad, and was gunned down in Beaufort Street in Rocklands while attending a friend’s 21st birthday party.
“Keanu was a well respected, popular boy because of his involvement in the Western Province Marching Band as a drummer and thus, he was attacked because these boys are jealous of his character and didn’t like that everyone wants to be friends with Keanu, just like with Chad,” says Paul.
“I just want to know why they would go so far as to kill him. He never harmed anyone, he didn’t deserve this.”
Keanu was stabbed in the lung and also in the main artery below his neck.
“His friends who were with him say boys chased them and they ran, but Keanu stood still to defend himself and was stabbed once.
“He then started running but the boys caught up with him when he started getting too weak and then they stabbed him again.”
Paul says Keanu was rushed to Mitchells Plain Day Hospital, then transferred to the Mitchells Plain District Hospital, where he died on the operating table.
HARTSEER: Parents Paul and Zelda Ferguson with Keanu
“We were with him at the hospital and then around 5am, the doctor told us that he is stable and that we can leave, but a few minutes later they called us back to say he took a turn for the worse and needed an emergency operation.
“During the operation, they lost him but he came back and they continued to fight for his life but by 9.30am he had died.”
A spokesperson for the Juvie Boy Entertainers, Yusuf Gester, says they are shocked and saddened by the tragic loss.
“Management of JBE wishes to convey their sincere condolences with the sad loss of a member,” he wrote on Facebook.
“After watching minstrels in Lentegeur, Keanu and friends, on their way home, were attacked by troublesome youngsters of the area for no reason, and sadly, Keanu tragically lost his life due to stabbing injuries sustained.”
The drummer boy. Picture supplied
Paul says they laid a charge with police late yesterday afternoon.
SAPS said they had no details of the incident at the time of going to print.