Elmon Tshikhudo
At official funerals, it is customary to fire gunshots to honour the deceased. Arnold “Soldier” Mudau was by no means an official, but shots were most definitely fired at his funeral on Saturday.
Random gunshots from all kinds of firearms – from handguns to high calibre weapons – were shot into the air as the Limpopo businessman, and alleged kingpin, was lowered into the ground.
As per his trademark, the funeral theme was camouflage, with many mourners wearing matching military uniforms. His casket was also patterned with this trademark colour scheme.
To add to the commotion, attendees spun donuts with their cars around the hearse that was carrying Mudau’s casket.
The funeral, which was held at the Tshakhuma sports ground, was attended by thousands, allegedly including many underworld figures who had travelled from all over the country.
A police helicopter hovered above the area, while many police units were stationed at a respectful distance to keep a close watch.
The funeral procession stretched for many kilometres, as traffic came to a standstill and motorists had to use the Vuwani-Elim road to Louis Trichardt.
Among those delivering eulogies were business people who were associates of Mudau, as well as the ANC Vhembe Region, represented by Makhado mayor Samuel Munyai.
Mudau passed away last Saturday in a car crash.
The after tears turned festive when thousands of mourners gathered at Mudau’s mansion and were entertained by famous artists, including the evergreen Makhadzi.
The joyous after tears went on until the early hours of Sunday morning.
Arnold Mudau, better known as the Soldier or the Lion of Judah, started the Jerusalem Restaurant and Pub in Thohoyandou with his friends Linda Netshitomboni and the late Naledzani Munyai.
But their businesses had an alleged darker side: they were widely thought to be the criminal kingpins of Limpopo, terrorising business people by robbing them and burgling their homes.
A man who belongs to the alleged Tshisole gangster group said firing of shots is a culture to show respect to their fallen leader.
“Arnold was our general and it is befitting that we accord him this type of a funeral. He will forever remain a hero in our hearts,” he said.
Wellknown businessman Tshifhiwa Lukoto acknowledged that he and the late Mudau were big crooks in the past but later changed to focus on more positive things in life.
“Our friendship was based on something like holding a rifle much to the applause of the mourners, but we later changed and focused on business. Mudau was a fully fledged businessman doing very well,” he said.
