Slain Westbury teacher was weeks away from wedding

Johannesburg - The young teacher who was murdered in Rhodes Park, Kensington, at the weekend was just weeks away from getting married, his uncle told News24.

Zukisa Kela met his girlfriend almost two years ago. He started lobola negotiations in April and completed them last month, said a grief-stricken Sibongile Kela who visited the scene of the crime at Rhodes park in Kensington on Monday morning.

The couple was to have tied the knot in December. 

Beat them up

But the young teacher's life was cut short when he and his fiancée and another couple were attacked by a gang of 12 men on Saturday evening as they took a walk around the park following a church service.

Police originally said both couples were married.

Sibongile Kela said the two couples were just about to leave the park when they were accosted by the gang.

"They beat them up first. After that, they took [Zukisa's] fiancée and raped her. They then took off his clothes and tied [his hands behind his] back and threw him in the water."

The attackers also tossed Kela's male friend into the water. Both of them drowned.

State mortuary

One of the women managed to escape and ran down the streets of Kensington screaming for help.

Meanwhile, Sibongile Kela was still in disbelief that his nephew had died in such a horrific manner.

When News24 met him at the scene of the crime on Monday afternoon, he said he was returning there for the second time since he heard the news.

"I am just coming to check again if this really happened to my nephew," said Kela.

After leaving the scene, he was planning to go to the state mortuary where he was to officially identify the body.

Kela described his nephew as a man who had a bright future ahead of him.

Come and help

"He always did things the right way. He was a good man... a worshipper who always gave good advice even to me, his uncle. If I had problems he would come by and help me," he said, adding that the entire family was heartbroken.

According to the Kela family, the gang did not rob the couples. 

Police spokesperson Lungelo Dlamini was not immediately available to verify these claims. 

He told News24 earlier that no arrests had been made. 

This article first appeared on News24 – see here.