Hundreds of Lentegeur residents hosted a street bash over the weekend to celebrate the 21st birthday of neighbourhood hero Chad Basson who was killed in a drive-by shooting last year.
Chad, who was 19 at the time, died a hero when he selflessly shielded his friend from bullets during a drive-by shooting when the group was mistaken for gangsters on 28 July 2018.
Dad Cornelius, 55, says while the family have waited for more than a year for justice they opted to honour his memory.
“Chad would have turned 21 on 14 August, so on Saturday the residents in Afrikaner Close hosted a street bash.
“They came out with a live band, erected balloons and braai stands and we all celebrated his life.”
Cornelius says the family made special banners and a Manchester United cake to celebrate the things Chad enjoyed.
“He was a big Manchester United fan so we wanted to share memories of him.
“Two weeks ago we had a memorial service to mark the one-year anniversary of his death and this was a continuation of that.”
He says the family remains heartbroken by Chad’s death and the lack of arrests in the case. “The detectives told us that two of the five people in the car were killed and they consider the case closed, but we still wanted to know about the other three.
“We have tried everything to get answers, but it won’t bring my boy back.
“As a family we still struggle and miss him and will always keep his memory alive.
“There were about 200 people who came out and that shows us the type of person he was.”
MEMORIES: Lentegeur residents celebrating Chad’s 21st birthday