Machakela Teboho

Age 37. On the afternoon of Wednesday, 19 August 2020, a violent armed robbery transpired at a farm homestead outside Odendaalsrus in the Free State, which would ultimately claim the life of thirty-seven-year-old cattle farmer Teboho Machakela. The young, innovative black entrepreneur was on duty inside his commercial shop located directly on the farm premises when he was suddenly accosted by an unknown group of assailants. Without provocation, the intruders shot him directly in the head before looting the premises, stealing approximately R5,000 in cash, and fleeing into the surrounding terrain. Emergency responders rushed Teboho Machakela to a local hospital where he fell into a deep, prolonged coma lasting six weeks. Against initial odds, he showed signs of stabilization and recovered well enough to be discharged by medical staff to continue his rehabilitation at his family home. However, the severe trauma of the head wound proved irreversible, and he tragically succumbed to his brain injuries on Monday, 2 November 2020, just days after being sent home.