The family of murdered Luke Smith will pay their final respects at his funeral set to take place on Saturday, October 26, in Qonce (King William’s Town) in the Eastern Cape.
Smith parent’s Brian and Natasha arrived in the country this week along with their son’s body.
Smith died following an assault in Wellington in early October.
He died two days later in hospital.
A 29-year-old boxer named Siale Siale has been charged with manslaughter in connection with Smith’s death.
He has been been released on bail with conditions and will appear in the Wellington High Court in November.
Smith who was an only child to his parents had emigrated to Upper Hutt in February this year.
His parents described their only child as the light of their lives, and someone who always avoided confrontation.
Brian said his son was a lovable, social soccer fanatic.
They expressed confidence in the justice system following the court appearance of their son’s alleged killer.
Following Smith’s untimely passing, an organisation in New Zealand began a fund-raiser to repatriate Smith’s body home.
Over 25,000 New Zealand dollars had been raised.
In an earlier interview with IOL, Brian said Luke was due to return to South Africa in November, when his visa expired, to complete a course in plumbing and thereafter return to New Zealand.
IOL News