Still No Clear Answers Around Lindani Myeni's Murder

The bodily remains of slain former South African rugby player Lindani Myeni landed on South African soil on Saturday, May 1. The 29-year-old husband and father of two arrived to a heartbreaking scene at the O.R Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg. In a strong message directed at the Honolulu police, his widow Lindsey Myeni, once again, called for justice to be meted out. Meanwhile, the recently released 911 call tapes revealed more details that lead to Myeni's death.

Read: Lindani Myeni's Remains To Be Repatriated to South Africa on Freedom Day

The tapesexpose the shocking circumstances that led to Myeni's death. The woman who made the 911 call can be heard complaining about Myeni. When asked if Myeni is armed, she confirmed that he was not. She also speculated that he was 30 years old, a detail that she would not have known without interacting with Myeni. The call reveals that the deceased engaged with the caller, introduced himself and told her he was from South Africa. The 911 responder then enquires about his race and the caller confirms that he is Black. Furthermore, the caller claims that a burglary was taking place, yet Myeni was found standing barefoot outside his car. Myeni's family lawyer Jim Bickerton stated that the police's bodycam tapes showed that Myeni rightfully fought in self-defence as the police had not identified themselves.

According to SowetanLIVE, the KwaZulu-Natal provincial government said it received no cooperation from the Honolulu Police Department (HPD) on the matter. KwaZulu-Natal premier Sihle Zikalala raised his concerns around the HPD not treating the murder as seriously as they should. Their response, or lack thereof, has cemented the fact that Black bodies mean nothing in America despite civil movements like #BlackLivesMatter.

Myeni was gunned down on April 14, just a stone's throw away from where he lived with his wife and two children. He will be buried on Saturday, May 8 in his hometown of eSikhawini in Richards Bay, Kwa-Zulu Natal. Bickerton confirmed that a lawsuit has been opened against the Honolulu Police Department after they stalled on releasing Myeni's cellphone and relevant case files. None of the police officers have been arrested.